EFSA Analysis Finds Mostly Harmless Levels Of Pesticide Residues In EU Foods

A 2012 European Food Safety Authority analysis of more than 79,000 food samples found that most – 97 percent – were within legal limits of pesticide residues. More than half (54 percent) were pesticide free. The report analyzed food samples from 27 EU member states, plus Iceland and Norway. Organic foods were much less likely to exceed the maximum residue level (MRL) compared to non-organic products (0.8 percent vs. 3.1 percent). But the noncompliance rate of food imported from non-EU countries was five times higher than foods that originated in the EU (7.5 percent compared to 1.4 percent). The EFSA said the presence of pesticide residues in food in 2012 was “unlikely to have a long-term effect on consumer health”.