The survey of pesticide residues in food of plant origin in Poland, 2004-2007

The Member States of the European Union are obliged to provide the official food control. For the pesticides, each country develops the monitoring and official control of pesticide residues in food on the market. In Poland, as in the other Member States, the monitoring of pesticide residues in food and official control are performed in order to check compliance with the Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs). In 2004-2007 the total number of samples analyzed in monitoring and official control of pesticide residues in foodstuffs of plant origin in Poland was 5340. Those were 1419 samples of fruit, 2383 samples of vegetables, 561 samples of cereal crops, 371 samples of processed products, and 509 samples of baby food During those four years residues above the MRLs were detected in 116 samples. The number of exceedances of MRLs was higher in domestic food products, which equaled 90% of analyzed samples.