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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Damien Gayle

‘Nothing says love like chemicals’: Valentine’s roses often covered in pesticides, testing finds

European Union Europe United Kingdom Pan
A woman carrying a bunch of red roses.
Red roses were found to be the worst, with one bunch containing traces of 26 different pesticides. Photograph: MaximFesenko/Getty Images

Stay away from roses this Valentine’s Day, environmental campaigners have warned after testing revealed them to be heavily contaminated with pesticides.

Laboratory testing on bouquets in the Netherlands, Europe’s flower import hub, found roses had the highest residues of neurological and reproductive toxins compared with other flowers.

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