Pesticides

At the EU level, common maximum residue levels (MRLs) have been established for approved pesticides. The MRL indicates the allowable amount of pesticide residue in food at the point of sale. Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 outlines provisions governing MRLs for pesticide residues in or on food, as well as feed of plant or animal origin.

The EU maintains a useful pesticide database where you can search for MRLs in fresh fruits, vegetables, and cereals. For dried products, consideration must be given to the degree of drying before measured levels can be compared to MRLs. Evaluation of Results When assessing a sample, the method’s measurement uncertainty (typically 50%) is taken into account, as per SANTE/11945/2015 (see E9-E12), to avoid unjustly rejecting an approved product. A product is considered compliant if the pesticide level minus the measurement uncertainty is lower than the MRL.