Through a statement, the Colombian Agricultural Institute (ICA) asked the population of Buenaventura and its surroundings not to consume pears as they have found a batch of pears that is contaminated with a dangerous insecticide.
Authorities seized a batch of 23 tons of Packham's pears that arrived from Chile without complying with phytosanitary requirements and were affected by a pest. The authorities then proceeded to spray the product with an insecticide to kill the pest and bury it outside the city in a landfill to dispose of it. However, an unknown party unearthed the product and marketed it.
The Secretary of Health, Leonor Helena Quiñonez, said they had activated a contingency plan.
"Our staff has been informed of the situation and we are ready to assist the patients who come with headaches, vomiting, and other symptoms to find out if they consumed any pears," she said.
She also said that the authorities followed the protocol to dispose of the contaminated fruit adequately, but that they didn't expect anybody would dig it up and start selling it.
According to the ICA, the pears are contaminated with a category 3 insecticide that causes health issues.
