According to the latest report published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the non-compliance rate for pesticides in foods decreased in 2019. For 2019, 96.1 percent of the 96,302 samples analyzed fell below the maximum residue level (MRL). Another 3.9 percent, or 3,720 samples, exceeded this level, of which 2,252 were non‐compliant based on measurement uncertainty.
The number of samples tested in 2019 grew compared to 91,015 in 2018. Reporting countries looked for 799 different pesticides in 2019. On average, 233 different ones were analyzed per sample. National control programs are risk-based, targeting products likely to contain pesticide residues or for which infringements have been identified in previous years.
Of all samples, 44.1 percent contained one or several pesticides in quantifiable concentrations, which is down from 47.8 percent in 2018. Multiple residues were reported in 25,584 samples. In a dried vine fruit sample with unknown origin, up to 28 different pesticides were found. In 313 tests, more than 10 pesticides were detected in the same sample.
