Compliance with European limits on pesticide residues in foods remains high, according to the latest report from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), published on Tuesday 5 May, based on an analysis of more than 125,000 samples collected across Europe. The level of risk to consumer health is still considered low.
As part of the coordinated programme, 9,842 samples of everyday products (aubergines, bananas, broccoli, cultivated mushrooms, grapefruits, melons, peppers, table grapes, virgin olive oil, wheat, beef fat and chicken eggs) were analysed in 2024. The result: 98.8% of samples complied with European legislation, a level consistent with 2021 (98.7%). No quantifiable residues were detected in 43.1% of samples, while 54.5% contained traces within authorised limits. Thresholds were exceeded in 2.4% of cases, of which 1.2% were deemed non-compliant after taking into account margins of uncertainty.
National control programmes confirm this trend. Out of 86,449 samples examined, 98.2% complied with European limits. In nearly 60% of the products, no detectable traces of pesticides were found.
For the first time, the report isolates data from increased import controls carried out at EU borders on products deemed to be at risk. Of 39,433 imported samples analysed, 38.3% contained no quantifiable residues and 56.2% fell within legal limits. Exceedances concerned 5.5% of cases, of which 3.6% were non-compliant, systematically blocked before entering the European market. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)