In 2022, 110,829 food samples were collected in the European Union in order to identify the amount of pesticide residues in products we consume regularly. According to the results, out of 11,727 samples analysed, 98.4% were within the legal limits.
The EU-coordinated control programme (EU MACP) collects the samples from 12 kinds of food such as apples, strawberries, peaches, wine (red and white), lettuces, head cabbages, tomatoes, spinaches, oat grain, barley grain, cow’s milk and swine fat.
The research has shown that:
- 51.4% (6,023 samples) were free of quantifiable levels of residues.
- 47% (5,512) contained one or more residues in concentrations below or equal to permitted levels (known as maximum residue levels, or MRLs).
- 1.6% (192) contained residues exceeding the permitted levels.
This inspection demonstrated that the level of pesticides decreased from 2% in 2019 to 1.6% in 2022.
You can read the full report here.
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