Foods with pesticide residues on the Danish market

In 2023, pesticide residues were found in 80% of all samples of conventionally grown fruit, in 42% of all samples of conventionally grown vegetables, and in 27% of conventionally grown cereal products. But 98% of all samples of fruit, vegetables, and cereal products comply with the established limits for pesticides in food. This is shown in the annual pesticide report from the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration and the DTU Food Institute.

Tuesday 17 December 2024

Pesticide residues in conventional foods

In conventional production, pesticides can be used to cultivate fruits, vegetables, and cereals. Pesticides are substances used to combat pests, weeds, and fungal attacks on crops. But in the EU, we have regulations on the amount of pesticide residues allowed in fruits, vegetables, and cereal products.

In Danish conventionally grown fruit, pesticide residues were found in 68% of the samples. The figure for the rest of the EU is 82%, and 81% when the fruit is grown outside the EU. Generally, Danish-produced fruits and vegetables contain fewer pesticide residues than foreign ones, and pesticides are more often found in fruits than vegetables.

“For Danish vegetables, pesticide residues were found in 19% of the samples. In the rest of the EU, pesticide residues were found in 58% of the samples, and the figure is 62% outside the EU. The pesticide report shows that Danish tomatoes in 2023,just like in 2022, are free from pesticide residues, while residues were found in 76% of foreign tomatoes,” explains senior advisor Bodil Hamborg Jensen from the National Food Institute at the Technical University of Denmark.

More than one pesticide was found in 52% of the foreign conventionally grown samples of fruits, vegetables, and cereal products, while this was only the case for 12% of the Danish samples.

Organic foods

In 2023, pesticide residues were found in 2.3% of all organic samples.

The use of pesticides in organic production is, with a few exceptions, not allowed.

“However, this does not necessarily mean that there is always a violation of organic regulations if a smallcontent of pesticides is detected in an organic food. Besides the possibility that the pesticide may be approved for organic production, the content could also be due to the pesticide being carried by the wind from a conventionally grown neighbouring field,” explains senior advisor Bodil Hamborg Jensen from the National Food Institute at the Technical University of Denmark.

“In general, one should choose organic foods to avoid pesticide residues,” adds Bodil Hamborg Jensen.

Samples may pose a health risk

Thirty samples have been assessed where a health risk cannot be ruled out. Eleven of the samples are random samples, and the remaining 19 are suspect samples.

Pesticide residues generally pose an insignificant health risk

Researchers closely monitor whether the total amount of pesticide residues may pose a health risk to consumers. The National Food Institute at the Technical University of Denmark assesses that the pesticide residues found in foods on the Danish market generally pose an insignificant health risk.

About the pesticide control

The Danish Veterinary and Food Administration and the National Food Institute at the Technical University of Denmark are responsible for conducting the Danish pesticide control, which examines samples of fruits, vegetables, cereal products, baby food, processed products, and animal products such as meat, liver, eggs, and honey for pesticide residues. It is a risk-based control, where sampling focuses on:

The 25 foods from which Danes – according to calculations from the National Food Institute – get more than 80% of their total pesticide intake
Foods where pesticide residues are most likely to be found
Foods where there is the greatest risk of the maximum residue limit to be exceeded