Nopales With High Pesticide Levels Removed From California Grocery Stores

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – Cactus pads imported from Mexico may contain pesticides that pose a health risk to consumers, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) warned Wednesday.

Samples of the vegetable, known as nopales, contained high levels of some pesticides that have been banned in the United States for many years.

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation said they sampled nopales from six different grocery stores. Only one, S&L Wholesale Produce in San Francisco, is in the Bay Area.

DPR removed the nopales from store shelves and distribution centers, where the items were destroyed.

Some nopales may have been sold to other stores in California, Nevada and Oregon, according to DPR, and are labeled "Mexpogroup Fresh Produce," "Aramburo," or "Los Tres Huastecos."

People who have been poisoned by the pesticides may experience sweating, vomiting, headache, hypersalivation, abdominal cramps and diarrhea, according to the CDHP.

A CDHP official said extreme effects could include permanent nerve damage and neurotoxicity.

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