Potent pesticides

Pesticides sprayed onto your food can have a devastating effect on your health. Check out some of the most controversial concoctions lurking in your kitchen

The gender benders

Horror stories of pesticides causing children to grow breasts and infertility to rocket may not be as fantastical as they seem: research has shown that certain chemicals do have a disturbing effect on hormone production.

And even when a chemical is banned, traces can still enter the food chain in the UK through produce from outside the EU. Beware of:

Lindane

There was a campaign to ban this chemical following the death in 2000 of eight-year-old Sharna Richardson, who collapsed after swallowing a tiny amount of the substance in some ant powder.

Even though it is supposed to be banned in food production, residues are still being found in some vegetables. Apart from being obviously poisonous, especially for children, it is also an endocrine disruptor - a chemical that mimics the female hormone oestrogen and is believed to be linked to female infertility problems and cancer.

Vinclozolin

Like Lindane, this is another proven endocrine disruptive chemical that can have an anti-androgenic, or anti-male, impact. Vinclozolin is responsible for delayed puberty and a reduced sperm count in rats. It has been detected on imported celery, grapes, kiwi fruit, lettuce, pears and tomatoes.

Carbendazim

A fungicide used on a wide range of fruit and vegetables, Carbendazim has also been subjected to animal tests. It has affected the production of sperm and stunted testicular development in rats and has also damaged mammal foetuses while in the womb. Carbendazim is also thought to be carcinogenic.