Swedish Food Agency Finds Low Instances of Pesticide Residue Violations in Food Samples

In its 2021 assessment of pesticide residues in food, Livsmedelsverket (the Swedish Food Agency) reports that the majority of tested foods did not surpass the European Union's maximum residue limits (MRLs). The agency's sampling, consistent with previous years, revealed that in most domestic samples, no pesticide residues were detectable.

Out of a total of 867 random samples across six food categories, 43 percent showed no detectable pesticide residues. However, in 4.2 percent of the samples (36 in total), pesticide concentrations exceeded the MRLs. Notably, rice samples imported from non-EU countries constituted 44 percent of the samples surpassing pesticide MRLs.

The prevalence of MRL exceedances in rice samples can be linked to the recent reduction in the limit for tricyclazole. Among the 16 rice samples violating any MRLs, ten exhibited notably high levels of this chemical out of a total of 65 rice samples tested.

The breakdown of pesticide residue levels across the six tested food categories is as follows:

1. Fruit and berries (fresh and frozen): 4.1 percent exceedance

2. Vegetables (fresh and frozen): 1 percent exceedance

3. Baby food: no exceedance

4. Cereals and cereal products (including rice): 19.5 percent exceedance

5. Animal products (bovine fat and eggs): no exceedance

6. Other processed products (e.g., edible oils and dried fruit): no exceedance

These findings underscore the overall adherence to EU pesticide residue limits in Swedish food samples, with specific attention drawn to the challenges posed by rice imports and evolving MRL standards.