Interest groups warn that consumers remain inadequately protected from harmful substances in their food. They argue that pesticide monitoring risks declining at a time when residues of banned substances are still regularly detected in products.
New laboratory tests by Foodwatch show that pesticide residues occur in everyday items such as rice, tea, paprika powder, chili pepper, cumin, and curry powder. The organization examined 64 products from stores in the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Austria.
Dozens of Products
Residues of one or more pesticides were found in 49 of those products. In 45 products, the substances detected were not approved within the European Union. In 14 samples, the detected residues even exceeded the legally permitted limit.
Promotion
Especially in herbs and spices, many chemical residues were found. All tested samples of paprika powder, chili, and cumin contained residues of non-approved pesticides. One paprika powder sample even contained 22 different pesticides.
A Taste of Their Own Medicine
Among the commonly found substances were chlorfenapyr, bifenthrin, clothianidin, and imidacloprid. According to official data, several of these pesticides were still exported by EU member states to countries outside the European Union in 2024 and 2025.
Critics say this leads to a so-called “pesticide boomerang” effect. Substances that are no longer allowed in Europe are used elsewhere in food production and then re-enter European supermarkets via imported products.
More Pesticides
The European food watchdog EFSA also continues to examine large numbers of food samples for pesticide residues. Regulators thus try to monitor the presence of chemical substances in foods sold within the European market.
Just last week it became known that pesticide sales to European farmers will increase by about 8 percent from 2025 onward. In previous years, there had been a decline in usage.
Relaxation
The debate over pesticides is intensifying. Interest groups fear that consumer risks will increase if interim pesticide re-evaluations are discontinued or approval procedures are relaxed. They are urging the European Commission to impose stricter rules for both pesticide use and the importation of food products.