Today’s consumers in Europe can buy about every fruit or vegetable at every time of the year for a decent price. This wealth of product diversity is possible due the application of huge amounts of agricultural chemicals in the conventional production system. Millions of tons of mineral fertilizers and pesticides are sprayed worldwide on fields and orchards each year – and certain amounts of such pesticides remain as residues in the food we eat.
Consumers in Europe are concerned about pesticide residues in food. A recent survey showed that 71% of the EU citizens are worried about pesticide residues in fruit, vegetables or cereals.
The map shows the percentage of samples of vegetables, fruit and cereals with detectable pesticide residues found in official national monitoring programs 2005
Click a country for more specific information.
What is a pesticide residue and why do they occur?
A pesticide residue is an amount of a specific pesticide, which occurs in food. There are two main reasons why pesticides residues occur in food:
A pesticide residue is an amount of a specific pesticide, which occurs in food. There are two main reasons why pesticides residues occur in food:
- Pesticides are applied in the growing season and rests of the applied amounts remain in or on the treated crop. Pesticides may also drift to nearby areas and contaminate crops, which have not been treated.
- Pesticides occur as contaminants in soils and sediments - and animals such as fish and wild boar, who eat soil or sediment dwelling organisms accumulate these pesticides over time in their body. Usually such pesticides have been used in the past and have a very long half life- they are also known as persistent organic pollutants or POPs.