Pesticide above limit in several foods in the EU. Imports, the most problematic

According to the report of the European Food Safety Authority, approximately 99% of the food analyzed in the European Union falls within the legal limits regarding pesticide residues. However, the differences between products from the EU and those from imports continue to fuel controversy.

There have been registered increases in exceedances of limits for products such as sweet peppers, table grapes, and extra virgin olive oil. In the case of imports, controls are stricter, and the rejection rate is higher: 3.6% of the over 39,000 samples analyzed in 2024 were declared non-compliant and withdrawn from the market. The most common issues were identified in products from India, Turkey, China, and Vietnam.

Among the substances detected above legal limits are ethephon, flonicamid, and glufosinate, raising questions about compliance with standards. Although authorities state that these exceedances do not indicate an immediate risk to consumers, they highlight compliance deficiencies. Overall, the health risk remains low, but European farmers are calling for stricter rules to limit competition from imports.