European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)

2007 Annual Report on Pesticide Residues according to Article 32 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 [1]

Question number: EFSA-Q-2008-714

Report  (0.7Mb)

Appendix I  (0.3Mb)

Appendix II  (2.6Mb)

Appendix III  (5.2Mb)

Appendix IV  (8.9Mb)

Appendix V  (0.5Mb)

Summary

The present Annual Report provides an overview of the results of the monitoring of pesticide residues in food commodities analysed during the calendar year 2007 in the 27 EU Member States and the two EFTA States (Norway and Iceland), who have signed the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA agreement).

This Report also provides the results of the assessment of the chronic and acute risks to the consumer health due to pesticide residues found in food commodities. In 2007, in total 74,305 samples of approximately 350 different food commodities were analysed for pesticide residues under the national and the EU coordinated programmes. This included 71,936 surveillance samples and 2,369 enforcement samples.

Compared with 2006, the total number of samples increased by 12.9%. This increase can be partially attributed to the fact that the two newest EU Member States, Bulgaria and Romania, have reported their data for the first time, but also reflects the efforts made by the reporting countries to enhance the food control in this area.

In 2007, the analytical methods used by the reporting countries for pesticide residue analysis allowed to detect in total 870 different pesticides (including metabolites) in food samples. Compared with 2006, the total number of pesticides sought has increased by 13%. On average, reporting countries tested for 218 different pesticides. In total, residues of 354 different pesticides were found in measurable quantities in fruit and vegetables, while in cereals residues of 72 different pesticides were observed. As in previous years, the number of different pesticide residues found in fruit and vegetables in 2007 was higher than the number of pesticides found in cereals, which also reflects the greater number of products, used in the fruit and vegetables category.

EFSA has a legal responsibility to consult the European Commission and the EU Member States on the draft Annual Report on Pesticide Residues and publish any comments received. No comments were received on the Annual Report 2007

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[1] For citation purposes: Reasoned opinion of EFSA prepared by the Pesticides Unit (PRAPeR) on the 2007 Annual Report on Pesticide Residues. EFSA Scientific Report (2009) 305, 1-106