The 2009 European Union Report on Pesticide Residues in Food
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The report presents the results of the control of pesticide residues in food commodities sampled during the calendar year 2009 in the 27 EU Member States and two EFTA countries (Iceland and Norway). The report also comprises the outcome of the consumer risk assessment of pesticide residues. Finally, the report provides some recommendations aiming to improve future monitoring programmes and enforcement of the European pesticide residue legislation. In total, more than 67,000 samples of nearly 300 different types of food were analysed for pesticide residues by national competent authorities. The total number of analytical determinations reported among all the participating countries amounted to more than 14,000,000. 97.4% of the samples complied with the legal maximum residue levels (MRLs) of pesticides. EFSA concluded that the long-term exposure of consumers did not raise health concerns. The short-term exposure assessment revealed that for 77 food samples analysed the acute reference dose (ARfD) might have been exceeded if the pertinent food was consumed in high amounts.
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In recent EFSA surveys, pesticide residues above the MRL were found in 6.2% of spinach, 3.8% of oat, 3.4% of peach, 3.0% of orange, 2.9% of strawberry and lettuce, 2.8% of table grape, and 2.7% of apple samples analysed.
“For example, in recent European Food Safety Authority surveys, pesticide residues above the MRL have been found in 6·2 % of spinach, 3·8 % of oat, 3·4 % of peach, 3·0 % of orange, 2·9 % of strawberry and lettuce, 2·8 % of table grape and 2·7 % of apple samples analysed( 57 ).”
A significant number of crop samples in the regulatory European Food Safety Authority pesticide residue monitoring in Europe are still found to contain pesticide residues above the MRL.
“However, a significant number of crop samples included in the regulatory European Food Safety Authority pesticide residue monitoring in Europe are still found to contain pesticide residues above the MRL( 57 ).”
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Cites
(EFSA), E. F. S. A. (2007) · EFSA Journal · doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2007.32r · Cited by 418 · see citing works
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- Results of the short-term risk assessment ........................................................................... 18314732, 2011, 11, Downloaded from https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2011.2430, Wiley Online Library on [11/09/2026]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License 2009, the highest number of different pesticides in one sample was 26 (found by the Netherlands in a sample of processed grapes (raisins) from Turkey). Without knowing the details of the sample, only assumptions can be made regarding the reason for the high number of pesticides in this sample. The high number of pesticides is probably the result of mixing lots of different producers. Multiple residues were reported by all reporting countries. 3 residues: 5.9% 4 residues: 3.8% 5 residues: 2.2% 6 residues: 1.3% 7 residues: 0.8% >7 residues: 1.2% 2 residues: 10.0% 1 residue: 17.4% No measurable residues: 57.5% REFERENCES BfR (Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung), 2009. BfR-Modell zur Berechnung der Aufnahme von Pflanzenschutzmittel-Rückständen. Information Nr. 026/2009 des BfR vom 1. Juli 2009. http://www.bfr.bund.de/cd/10196.
- ENV/JM/MONO(2009)30 18314732, 2011, 11, Downloaded from https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2011.2430, Wiley Online Library on [11/09/2026]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License
- WHO 2009. Dietary exposure assessment of chemicals in food. Report of a joint FAO/WHO Consultation of 2-6 May 2005 published by FAO/WHO 2009. Annapolis, Maryland, USA http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2008/9789241597470_eng.pdf 18314732, 2011, 11, Downloaded from https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2011.2430, Wiley Online Library on [11/09/2026]. See the Terms and Conditions (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/terms-and-conditions) on Wiley Online Library for rules of use; OA articles are governed by the applicable Creative Commons License
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- Authors
- Authority, E. F. S.
- Corresponding author
- European Food Safety Authority
- Venue
- EFSA Journal
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2011-11
- Volume
- 9
- Issue
- 11
- ISSN
- 1831-4732 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W4240429025
- Cited by
- 59
- References
- 6
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 10
- FWCI
- 12.15
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- EFSA Journal (publishedVersion, cc-by-nd)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Agricultural safety and regulations
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Food Science › Pesticide Residue Analysis and Safety
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Plant Science › Pesticide Exposure and Toxicity
- Keywords
- pesticide residues, food safety, consumer risk assessment, acute reference dose, short-term exposure, long-term exposure, food monitoring, European Union
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