A total of 87,863 food samples were collected in the European Union in 2021. Analysis of the results shows that 96.1% of the samples fell within the legally allowed levels. In a subset of 13,845 samples analyzed as part of the EU Coordinated Control Program (EU MACP), 97.9% were within legal limits.
EU MACP will analyze randomly collected samples from 12 food products. In 2021, these were eggplants, bananas, broccoli, fungi, grapefruits, melons, peppers, table grapes, virgin olive oil, wheat, beef tallow and chicken eggs.
Of the samples analyzed with the adjusted program:
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58.1% (8,043 samples) were found to have no quantifiable levels of residue.
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39.8% (5,507) contained one or more residues at concentrations below acceptable levels (known as maximum residue levels, or MRLs).
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2.1% (295) contained residues above acceptable levels.
Sample the same product every three years. That is, you can identify uptrends or downtrends.
overall rate Insecticide the residue MRL It rose from 1.4% in 2018 to 2.1% in 2021. Outside the EU, the European Commission tightened border controls in the same year.
Detailed control program results are available on the EFSA website as browsable charts and graphs, making the data more accessible to non-experts.
EFSA’s annual reports include harmonized and comparable data collected under the EU Coordination Program (EU MACP) as well as data collected as part of national control activities carried out by individual EU Member States. It also includes the data[1]Norway and Iceland.
The results of monitoring programs are a valuable source of information for estimation. dietary exposure The impact of pesticide residues on EU consumers.
EFSA implements diet risk assessment As part of the analysis of results. This year also saw the introduction of a pilot probabilistic assessment for a subset of substances for the first time.
The report suggests that the foods analyzed in 2021 are unlikely to pose consumer health concerns. Nevertheless, the report contains a number of recommendations for increasing the efficiency of European management systems for pesticide residues.