In its latest annual report, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) stated that the risk to human health from pesticide residues used to kill or control pests (including disease vectors and harmful insects, animals, and plants) remains low, consistent with previous years. EFSA analyzed thousands of samples collected from common consumer products in 2023.
The report analyzed pesticide residue data collected through random and targeted monitoring projects. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) also released an interactive tool allowing users to view the data in chart form.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) analysed the results of 13,246 samples, randomly selected from the 12 most commonly consumed foodstuffs in the EU, in EU Member States, Norway and Iceland, as part of the EU Harmonised Monitoring Programme (EU MACP).
As part of the EU’s MACP program, a sample survey of the same commodities is conducted every three years to monitor trends. In 2023, the sample included carrots, cauliflower, kiwifruit (green, red, and yellow), onions, oranges, pears, potatoes, dried beans, brown rice, rye, beef liver, and poultry fat.
Of the samples analyzed according to EU modified atmosphere control (MAC) standards, 99% met EU requirements. This result is consistent with the result obtained when sampling the same products in 2020 (99.1%).
Of the 2,023 samples, 70% had no quantifiable residues, while 28% had one or more residues, all within legal limits. Residue levels exceeded the maximum permissible limit (MRL) in 2% of samples, of which 1% failed to meet the requirements after accounting for measurement uncertainty. The scientific concepts used in risk assessment take into account all limitations in knowledge that may affect the probability of assessment results, given the resources available at the time of the assessment.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) annual pesticide residue report also includes the results of the Multi-Annual National Control Programme (MANCP), which collects targeted sampling data based on risk levels.
These national control programs received 132,793 samples, of which 98% met EU requirements. Compliance rates with MANCP requirements were 97.5% and 97.8% in 2021 and 2022, respectively.
Of the 2,023 samples, 58% had no pesticide residues, 38.3% had residues within acceptable limits, and 3.7% exceeded the maximum residue limit (MRL), which is the maximum permitted amount of pesticide residues in food or animal feed, expressed in milligrams per kilogram. Two percent of samples did not meet regulatory requirements.
The results of monitoring programs are a valuable source of information for assessing exposure to harmful substances in food. Risk assessment requires measuring the quantities of intentionally added or unintentionally present substances (such as nutrients, additives, or pesticides) consumed by humans or animals through food, as well as assessing pesticide residues in EU consumers.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) conducted a consumer health risk assessment after analyzing the results. This assessment showed the likelihood that consumers would be exposed to residues above a certain safety threshold (i.e., the dose or exposure level at which no adverse reaction would be observed).
Based on the assessment results, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluded that pesticide residues in the tested foods pose a low risk to consumer health.
The report also included recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the European pesticide residue monitoring system. For example, the European Food Safety Authority recommended that Member States conduct additional investigations and monitoring of pesticide-crop combinations that lead to non-compliance, as well as continue to conduct comprehensive analysis of samples imported from outside the EU to monitor pesticide residues.
Post time: Jan-28-2026