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.

Other nasties include:

Organophosphates

Used in sheep dip, organophosphates have been linked to excessive tiredness, headaches, limb pains, disturbed sleep, poor concentration and depression.

Aldicarb

This insecticide, which affects the nervous system, is described by the World Health Organisation as highly toxic and 'extremely hazardous'. A sample test in potatoes this year found that they contained aldicarb above safety levels.

Chlorpyrifos

This is an organophosphorus pesticide used in Britain on fruit, vegetables and cereals. Chlorpyrifos has been restricted in the United States because of the effect it has on the nervous system - especially on children. Germany has noted male and female genital deformities and, as a result, has listed it as an endocrine disrupting drug.

Fresh danger

So, will an apple a day bring the doctor running? Maybe not immediately, but the accumulative effect of all these substances has yet to be realised.

Friends of the Earth's Pesticides Campaigner Sandra Bell says: 'We're appalled by this cocktail of risky pesticides in the very foods which should be a healthy choice, such as strawberries, lettuce and celery.

'It's particularly shocking that some of these pesticides are above recognised safety levels for toddlers - it's very disappointing to see that high levels of pesticides were found in UK foods as well as imports and that illegal use of pesticides continues to be a problem.

'We want the Government to take more action to crack down on dodgy chemicals in imported food but it must also do more to help farmers in the UK to get off the chemical treadmill.'