The document summarizes monitoring programs and findings related to pesticide residues in food in Europe. It discusses the legal framework for monitoring in EU countries, EFSA's annual reports on pesticide residues, and a new EU data collection system. The main findings from EFSA's 2009 annual report are that over 97% of samples did not exceed maximum residue levels, with exceedances more common in imported and unprocessed foods. EFSA also conducts cumulative risk assessments of pesticide residues.

1. Pesticide residues in food:
Monitoring programs in Europe
and
EFSA Annual Reports
ECPA IBMA Workshop
Parma 26 April 201 2

2. Content of the presentation

3. Content of the presentation
1. Control/monitoring activities in Europe: legal
framework
2. EFSA Annual Report on Pesticide Residues: main
findings
3. New EU data collection system

4. Monitoring of pesticide residues
in food in the EU
EU legislation(*) requests EU Member States:
• To carry out regular official controls on pesticide
residues in food commodities to check compliance
with Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs - legal limits)
• To establish national monitoring programmes
• To participate in a specific EU coordinated monitoring
programme (voluntarily until 2008, mandatory from
2009)
(*) Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 available at:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/Result.do?T1=V2&T2=2005&T3=396&RechType=RECH_naturel&Submit=Search

5. Monitoring of pesticides residue
in food in the EU
EU legislation requests EFSA:
• To compile and collate data and all the information
provided on the results of the analysis of the samples
taken during the previous year (both national and EU
monitoring programmes)
• To prepare an EU Annual Report(*)
(*) The Annual Reports 1996-2006 are available at:
http://ec.europa.eu/food/fvo/specialreports/pesticides_index_en.htm
The Annual reports 2007-2009 are published at:
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/topics/topic/pesticides.htm
food in the EU

6. The EU Annual Report
The EU Annual Report provides:
• An overview of the results of the controls/monitoring and
analysis of findings (e.g. number of pesticide sought and
found and MRL exceedances)
• Possible reasons for MRL exceedences
• Recommendations on pesticides to be covered in future
monitoring programmes, on risk management actions
• An assessment of the consumer exposure to actual
pesticide residues in food

7. 2009 Annual Report on Pesticide Residues(*)
No of commodities/
834 distinct pesticides sought:
samples analysed:
>300 food items
 338 found in vegetables
>68.000 samples analyzed
 319 found in fruit and nuts
>14.000.000 single analytical
 93 found in cereals
determinations
(*) Report available at: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/2430.htm

8. Number of samples analyzed(*)
Spain; 1568
Austria; 2071 Poland; 1816
Norway; 1499
Belgium; 2112 Sweden; 1784
Slovenia; 1391
Greece; 2278
Ireland; 1329
Finland; 2286
Czech Republic; 1106
Denmark; 2294
Portugal; 969
Bulgaria; 951
Hungary; 2406
Slovakia; 726
Romania; 3718 Cyprus; 642
Estonia; 397
United Kingdom; Lithuania; 310
3835
Iceland; 300
M alta; 170
Luxembourg; 161
Netherlands; 3891 Latvia; 127
France; 4043 Germany; 16866
Italy; 6932
(*) Total number of samples taken in 2009 by each reporting country (surveillance and enforcement samples of fruit,
vegetables, cereals, processed commodities and baby food). Total 67,978 samples

9. Origin of samples analyzed(*)
Third
Country;
14,937; 22%
Unknown;
3,012; 4%
EEA; 50,029;
74%
(*)
Origin of samples (EU: EU27, Iceland and Norway; Imported: countries extra-EU); surveillance and enforcement
samples of fruit, vegetables, cereals, processed commodities and baby food.

10. Number of food commodities analysed(*)
(*) The number of different raw commodities sampled in the 2009 national and EU programmes by each country (excluding processed and baby
food). EU legislation sets MRLs for ca. 400 agricultural commodities. Approrx 200 different raw commodities analysed in 2009.

11. Number of pesticides sought(*)
(*) The number of pesticides analysed in 2009 by each reporting country
Total number pesticides sought: 834
Number of authorised pesticides: ca. 500

12. Samples exceeding the MRLs:
trend over the time(*)
2009 97,4% 2,6%
2008 96,5% 3,5%
2007 96,0% 4,0%
2006 95,0% 5,0%
2005 95,0% 5,0%
2004 95,0% 5,0%
2003 94,5% 5,5%
2002 94,5% 5,5%
2001 96,1% 3,9%
2000 95,5% 4,5%
1999 95,7% 4,3%
1998 96,7% 3,3%
1997 96,6% 3,4%
1996 97,0% 3,0%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
No measurable residues detected above MRL
Residues detected above MRL
(*) MRL compliance rate for samples from the national and EU coordinated pesticide residue programmes 1996-2009. Note that for
2008/2009 only surveillance samples are included, while for 1996-2007, enforcement samples are included as well.

13. Samples exceeding the MRLs by food group(*)
Fruit and nuts; Processed 99.0% 1.0%
Fruit and nuts; Unprocessed 97.2% 2.8%
Vegetables; Processed 95.2% 4.8%
Vegetables; Unprocessed 96.8% 3.2%
Cereals; Processed 99.2% 0.8%
Cereals; Unprocessed 99.0% 1.0%
Other plant products; Processed 97.9% 2.1%
Other plant products; Unprocessed 95.6% 4.4%
Animal products; Processed 99.7% 0.3%
Animal products; Unprocessed 99.7% 0.3%
Babyfood/Infant formulae; Processed 99.2% 0.8%
80% 100%
Below MRL Above MRL
(*) MRL compliance rate for surveillance samples in the national programme and the EU coordinated pesticide monitoring
programme 2009.

14. No of samples analysed vs No pesticide sought and found

15. MRL exceedances: origin of samples(*)
Unknown; EU origin;
1,30% 1,50%
Imported food;
6,90%
(*) Exceedances of EU MRLs according to origin of sample (2009 surveillance samples)

16. MRL exceedances: origin of samples extra-EU

17. Risk assessment
EU coordinated monitoring programme
(in 2009, 138 pesticides analysed in 10 food commodities)
Analysis of randomly selected samples in order to collect data
on occurrence of pesticide in fruit, vegetables and cereals
representative for the European market which are appropriate
to assess the actual dietary exposure of the European
population
Acute (short-term) risk assessment
Chronic(long-term) risk assessment

18. Number of pesticides included in the EU
monitoring programme 1996-2009
140
130 120
120
110
Number of pesticides
100
90 78
80 71
70
55 55
60 47
50 41 42
36
40 32
30 20 20 20
13
20 9
10
0
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Sampling year
Food of plant origin Food of animal origin

19. Food commodities included in the EU
monitoring programme
2009 2010 2011
Aubergines Apples Beans with pods (a)
Bananas Head cabbage Carrots
Butter Leek Cucumbers
Cauliflower Lettuce Poultry meat
Egg Milk Liver (d)
Orange juice (b) Peaches (c) Oranges or mandarins
Peas without pods (a) Rye or oats Pears
Peppers (sweet) Strawberries Rice
Table grapes Swine meat Potatoes
Wheat Tomatoes Spinach (a)
(a): Fresh or frozen
(b): For orange juice, reporting countries shall specify the source (concentrate or fresh fruits)
(c): Peaches including nectarines and similar hybrids
(d): bovine and other ruminants, swine and poultry
⇒ Total number of pesticide/crop combinations for which the acute RA is
potentially needed:1242.

20. Results acute RA
Total Number of pesticide/crop
combinations: 1242 (2009)
Out of 256 pesticide/crop combinations for which the acute RA was
performed, for 32 combinations theoretical exposure exceeded 100% of
the ARfD: for those the short-term risk could not be excluded

21. Presentation of the acute RA results(*)
(*) Summary of the 2009 results of the short-term consumer risk assessment for the 256 pesticide/crop combinations for
which the acute RA was performed.

22. Results acute RA
Based on the frequency of samples exceeding the
threshold residue level (residue leading to 100% of
ARfD) the critical events were classified as:
– Exceptional event (<0.1%): 10 out of the 32 combinations
– Seldom events (<1%): 22 out of the 32 combinations
– Non-seldom event (>1%): none

23. Presentation of the acute RA results
Summary of the 2009 results of the short-term consumer risk assessment for the pesticide/crop combinations for
which a potential consumer risk could not be excluded

24. Results chronic RA
For 135 pesticides/group of pesticides the calculated TMDI based
on the 27 diets included in the PRiMo model(*) was below the ADI.
The estimated chronic exposure did not raise consumer health
concerns.
Total Number of pesticide/group
of pesticides: 138 (2009)
(*)EFSA Data Model description available at: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/supporting/pub/1457.htm

25. Results chronic RA
• For 3 pesticides (carbofuran, diazinon and the
dithiocarbamates) a potential chronic risk could not be excluded.
However, it is noted that the estimated exposure was affected
by uncertainties which are mainly related to the conservative
data model assumptions.
• Taking into account that pesticide residues are lower in food
commodities that are consumed after processing (e.g. in apple
juice), EFSA concluded that the long-term consumer exposure
to carbofuran, diazinon and dithiocarbamates residues is not
likely to exceed the ADI. Thus, also for these three pesticides
no long-term consumer risk is expected.

26. Data collection: new EFSA system (2010)
Principles the of EFSA Standard Data Model
for data reporting (SSD)(*):
• Uses a Generic Structure
• Designed for Sample/Determination Level data
• Uses a Standard Transmission format
• Uses Standard Terminology
(*) EFSA Data Model description available at: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/supporting/pub/1457.htm

27. Data collection: EFSA new system
Additives Contaminants
Field 1 Field 2 Field 3 Field 4 Field 5 Field 6
Pesticides

28. Data collection: new system
The new data collection system foresees:
• Replacement mail sending/receiving system (web interface)
• Storing data in a centralised EFSA location (data warehouse)
• Development of a database application (to
query/import/export data, to avoid typing errors)
• Development of a data model (information reported at sample
level)
• Defined data model elements
• Use of standardised terminology for e.g. pesticides and food
names
• Implementation XML schema for data exchange/transmission

29. Data collection: new system
• EFSA promoted the change of the reporting system in order to
make best use of the data generated at country level
– Improve comparability of MS results
– Facilitate data validation, cleaning and analysis
– Improvements in risk assessment
– Enable cumulative risk assessment
• With the full implementation and national data reporting
according to the SSD EFSA has built the largest pesticide
residue database with control/monitoring results in Europe.
• The data base is fed on yearly basis with information concerning
approx. 20 million records.

30. Monitoring data workflow

31. Conclusions
• A well-established monitoring programme of pesticide residues
in food is in place in Europe
• Considerable efforts have been made by Member States
regarding increasing the scope of analytical methods and
increase of samples analysed
• In the past, aggregate data were reported by Member States;
this, impeded detailed analysis of data and made risk
assessment inaccurate.
• A new data collection system has been developed/implemented
in the EU in 2010.
• Pesticide monitoring data collected in EFSA are used to prepare
the EFSA Annual Report on pesticide Residues, but also for
other purposes and by other services of the Community.

32. Thank you!

33. Cumulative Risk Assessment (CRA)
• Regulation (EC) 396/2005 on pesticide MRLs
emphasizes the importance “to carry out
further work to develop a methodology to
take into account cumulative and synergistic
effects of pesticides”
• Consumer exposure to residues of pesticides
toxicologically acting with the same mode of
action

34. Cumulative Risk Assessment
2 residues:
10.9%
3 residues:
6.5%
4 residues:
1 residue: 4.1%
20.0% 5 residues:
2.4%
6 residues:
No 1.3%
measurable 7 residues:
residues: 0.6%
53.3%
≥8 residues;
0.9%
Number of residues found in individual surveillance samples from the national and EU coordinated pesticide monitoring
programmes 2008

35. Cumulative Risk Assessment
• In the context of the EU Annual Report, CRA of pesticide residues is
not yet performed
• At present, no agreed international/European CRA methodology is
available. However, EFSA has published a first scientific opinion on
the issue (suitability of existing methodologies) and a second
opinion is on the way. On the basis of these 2 opinions EFSA will
develop an operational tool to address CRA.
• In the future, CRA will be also performed for the
consumer exposure assessment to actual residues of
pesticides measured in food available for the EU
consumers