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Three-quarters of the honey produced around the world contain pesticides that can harm bees and pose a health risk to humans, a study has shown.

Scientists who tested 198 honey samples found 75 per cent were laced with at least one of the neonicotinoid chemicals - which can attack the human nervous system in high doses.

Experts called the findings ‘alarming’, ‘sobering’ and a ‘serious environmental concern’ while stressing the pesticide levels generally fell well below the safe limits for human consumption.

The chemicals are a key battleground in the environmental movement – with campaigners demanding a ‘complete and permanent’ ban on the pesticides as they are suspected to be harmful to bees.

However, one leading British scientist warned that it was impossible to predict the long term effects of consuming honey containing tiny amounts of the chemicals.

Dave Goulson, Professor of Biology at the University of Sussex, said: ‘Beyond doubt ... anyone regularly eating honey is likely to be getting a small dose of mixed neurotoxins.

‘In terms of acute toxicity, this certainly won’t kill them and is unlikely to do measurable harm. What we don’t know is whether there are long-term, chronic effects from life-time exposure to a cocktail of these and other pesticides in our honey and most other foods.’

For practical reasons it was ‘impossible to do a proper experiment to test this’, he added.

Neonicotinoids are neuro-active chemicals similar to nicotine that have proved to be highly effective at protecting crops from pests, especially aphids and root-eating grubs.

They can either be sprayed on leaves or coated on seeds, in which case they infiltrate every part of the growing plant.

The chemicals are a key battleground in the environmental movement – with campaigners demanding a ‘complete and permanent’ ban on the pesticides as they are suspected to be harmful to bees.

However, one leading British scientist warned that it was impossible to predict the long term effects of consuming honey containing tiny amounts of the chemicals.

Dave Goulson, Professor of Biology at the University of Sussex, said: ‘Beyond doubt ... anyone regularly eating honey is likely to be getting a small dose of mixed neurotoxins.

‘In terms of acute toxicity, this certainly won’t kill them and is unlikely to do measurable harm. What we don’t know is whether there are long-term, chronic effects from life-time exposure to a cocktail of these and other pesticides in our honey and most other foods.’

For practical reasons it was ‘impossible to do a proper experiment to test this’, he added.

Neonicotinoids are neuro-active chemicals similar to nicotine that have proved to be highly effective at protecting crops from pests, especially aphids and root-eating grubs.

They can either be sprayed on leaves or coated on seeds, in which case they infiltrate every part of the growing plant.