Five types of vegetables sold in Shanghai shops have been found to contain residual pesticide, a local consumers' rights watchdog said yesterday.

Among the vegetables, which included chicken feather (a popular local leaf vegetable), clover, yam and sword beans, was an organic vegetable, Chinese green.

All the inspected 25 samples were bought in hypermarkets or supermarkets, said the Shanghai Commission of Consumers' Rights and Interests Protection.

The chicken feather, clover, sword beans and yam were found in Carrefour's Gubei branch, the Metro Pudong branch, the Lotus Tianshan branch and the Jiangke Department Ganquan branch, and were produced respectively by the Shanghai Hongyang Agricultural Production Co Ltd, Jingrui Agricultural Technical Co Ltd and the Shanghai Shunjin Trading Co Ltd.

The organic Chinese green was found at Lehao City and was produced by the Shanghai Luhe Gardening Co Ltd, said the commission.

"While the pesticide content of common vegetables was below the recommended level, no pesticide at all should be used in organic gardening," said Lu Xueqin, an official with the commission.

The commission reminded consumers to choose organic vegetables with recommended brands.

(Shanghai Daily September 10, 2007)