EFSA 2009 Annual report on pesticide residues - PAN Europe

<strong>2009</strong> EU Report on Pesticide Residues
been improved with regard to their sensitivity. Having more active substances in the programme, one
would expect an increase in positive findings.
The percentage of samples exceeding the MRLs has decreased for all commodities, except for wheat
where the percentage increased from 0.1% to 0.8%. The highest difference was detected for
aubergines (4.3% in 2006 to 1.7% in <strong>2009</strong>) followed by peppers (3.5% in 2006 to 1.8% in <strong>2009</strong>). In
Figure 3-5 the comparison of the MRL exceedance observed in 2006 and <strong>2009</strong> is depicted.
The EU-coordinated programme requested the Member States to sample and analyse organic food.
However, since the total number of organic samples taken in the framework of the European
programme among all <strong>report</strong>ing countries (427 samples among all the 10 commodities tested) was not
sufficient to perform reliable statistical analysis <strong>EFSA</strong> decided to present the results on the organic
food in section 4 of the <strong>report</strong>, where the results concerning the national and EU programme are
combined.
According to article 2(2) of the <strong>2009</strong> European control Regulation at least 10 samples of baby-food -
based mainly on vegetables, fruits and cereals should had been taken and analysed. However, due to
limitations in some laboratory information systems and insufficient guidance on how to <strong>report</strong> babyfood
results taken under the EU programme, the latter could not clearly be identified. <strong>EFSA</strong> identified
the need to provide the <strong>report</strong>ing countries with more guidance on the use of the new data <strong>report</strong>ing
system. The results of baby food control are <strong>report</strong>ed in section 4 of the <strong>report</strong>, where both the
national and EU results are combined.
Detailed results per commodity and <strong>report</strong>ing country of the EU-coordinated control programme are
listed in Appendix III, Table I.
Aubergines
1.7%
4.3%
Bananas
0.4%
1.4%
Cauliflower
0.5%
1.6%
Commodity
Orange juice
Peas (without pods)
Peppers
0.0%
0.1%
1.0%
1.8%
2.3%
3.5%
Table grapes
2.8%
3.2%
Wheat
0.8%
0.1%
0.0 1.0 2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0 6.0
% above MRL (<strong>2009</strong>) % above MRL (2006)
Figure 3-5: EUCP - Percentage of samples with residues above MRL for the 8 food commodities analysed in the
EU coordinated programme 2006 and <strong>2009</strong>.
In the framework of the EU-wide harmonisation of the pesticide residues in 2008 partially higher
MRLs were established, but in many cases the national MRLs were not considered as safe for all EU
Member States (<strong>EFSA</strong> 2007) and were therefore deleted or replaced by lower values. The
<strong>EFSA</strong> Journal 2011;9(11):2430 67