EFSA scrutinises pesticide residues in food
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published its annual report on pesticide residues found in food – offering a snapshot of their presence and potential risk to consumer health.
The report is based on a total of 91,015 samples collected in 2018 from EU Member States, Iceland and Norway. According to EFSA’s findings, 95.5% of the samples fell within legally permitted levels.
For the subset of 11,679 samples, analysed as part of the EU-coordinated control programme, 98.6% of samples were found to be within legal limits.
Concerning potential for dietary risk associated with pesticide residues, the report findings indicate that the food commodities analysed in 2018 are ‘unlikely to pose a concern for consumer health’.
However, EFSA has produced recommendations designed to increase the efficiency of European control systems (available here).
“For many years this report has supported the work of the European Commission and Member States in ensuring the proper use of pesticides in line with EU legislation and targets,” noted EFSA executive director Bernhard Url.
“Efficient collection and rigorous analysis of such data will continue to be of central importance in ensuring the safety of food sold in the European Union.”
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