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Description
Publisher Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira
Pesticide Residue Monitoring in Finland - 2007; Fruit, Vegetables and Cereals
Title Pesticide Residue Monitoring in Finland - 2007;
Fruit, Vegetables and Cereals
Authors Ulla Karlström, Lea Korkka ja Kalevi Siivinen
Abstract The Finnish Food Safety Authority Evira coordinated the preparation of the
sampling plan for the annual national pesticide control. The sampling plan
included both the national control programme and EU’s harmonised control
programme. Vegetable products essential in dietary terms were covered by
the control activities, with special focus on various snack products, such as
potato crisps, French fries, potato wedges, sliced potatoes and corn crisps.
Special control targets were also selected on the basis of known residue
problems.
Municipal health inspectors collected the domestic samples from wholesale
stores, packaging firms, retail stores and farms. Customs inspectors visited
wholesale stores to take samples of imported products. The National Product
Control Agency for Welfare and Health (STTV) acquired samples of alcoholic
products in the warehouses of wholesalers as well as in retail stores. The
sampling was carried out in compliance with Directive 2002/63/EEC.
In 2007 a total of 2020 samples of fruit, vegetables, cereals and processed
foods were analysed for residues of 251 different pesticides. 124 (6 %)
of the samples were organically produced. 26 samples were of products
intended for children and infants, 19 of these organically produced. 300
samples were of domestic products, 812 of products from other EU countries
and 856 of products imports from so-called third countries. The origin of the
product could not be established for 52 samples. In addition, 76 follow-up
samples were analysed of products earlier found to be non-conforming.
Pesticide residues were found in 52 % of the samples. 62 % of fruit
samples, 29% of cereal samples and 34 % of processed foods contained
pesticide residues. Residues were present in 37 % of Finnish products, in
55 % of products from other EU countries and in 57 % of products from
third countries. All in all, 100 samples (5.0 %) were non-conforming, i.e.
the content of pesticide residues exceeded the highest permitted level.
57 of these were products from third countries, 39 products from other EU
countries and 4 were domestic products. 16 % of the follow-up samples
contained more than the permitted amount of pesticide residues. None of
the analysed children’s foods showed any residues.