Article
Regulatory Compliance

A Closer Look at Global Pesticide Residue Incidents in 2024

Pesticide residues remain a critical concern for the global food supply. As regulatory scrutiny intensifies, food businesses must navigate complex compliance requirements. This article explores pesticide residue incidents in 2024 by country of origin, notifying countries and high-risk commodities, and explores strategies for managing pesticide residue regulations.

According to data gathered from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) portal, there was a 5.8% increase in reported pesticide residue incidents in 2024 compared to 2023, underscoring the ongoing challenges facing the agricultural and food industries¹. These incidents, which can arise from the use of unauthorized substances or from legal pesticides exceeding established maximum residue levels (MRLs), serve as a reminder of the complexity and importance of meeting varying pesticide regulations.

Top Countries of Origin and Notifying Countries 

Countries of Origin

According to data from FoodChain ID’s Ingredient Risk Identification by HorizonScan™, the highest number of reported pesticide residue incidents in 2024 were linked to products originating from Mexico, India and China². As major contributors to the global food supply, these countries play a pivotal role in meeting international demand for fresh produce, grains and other key commodities. However, they face ongoing challenges in monitoring agricultural practices and ensuring compliance with varied international regulations. 

Notifying Countries

The United States, France and Japan emerged as the top three countries responsible for notifying global agencies of pesticide residue concerns². Their testing capabilities, coupled with stringent import regulations, enable them to detect anomalies and swiftly issue alerts. These measures help protect public health and drive improvements in farming and supply chain practices.

Commodities Most Frequently Impacted

1. Fruiting Vegetables

This category includes crops such as tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants. High demand, coupled with potentially intensive pesticide use, can increase the likelihood of residue detection.

2. Unprocessed Cereals

Wheat, rice, and maize make up a large portion of global diets. With multiple handling stages—from field to storage and transport—contamination risks increase if pesticide use and residue limits are not carefully controlled.

3. Citrus Fruit

Oranges, lemons and other citrus varieties remain high in demand worldwide. Their protective rinds can sometimes mask internal residues, making thorough testing protocols essential. 

Navigating Pesticide Residues: Tools and Strategies 

As the number of reported pesticide residue incidents continues to rise, food businesses and regulators alike are intensifying their efforts to address potential risks. Implementing effective monitoring systems and adopting best practices throughout the supply chain can significantly minimize contamination.

These efforts often involve: 

1. Improved Regulatory Monitoring

Monitoring and adhering to maximum residue levels (MRLs) across different markets can be complex. Each country may have its own regulatory framework, and businesses that export or import products must stay current on evolving requirements. Learn how FoodChain ID’s Regulatory Limits solution can help you quickly compare MRL regulations across your critical markets!

2. Enhanced Supply Chain Transparency

From farm to fork, maintaining visibility into every stage of production is critical. This includes tracking inputs at the farm level, preserving accurate documentation and conducting regular testing for pesticide residues.

3. Collaboration and Communication

Governments, industry bodies and private organizations must communicate effectively to share data, best practices and solutions that help ensure food safety and quality.

FoodChain ID's Regulatory Limits solution

Quickly determine export risks across different countries with FoodChain ID’s Regulatory Limits solution

Stay ahead of constantly evolving pesticide MRLs, veterinary drug MRLs and contaminant limits. Considered the gold standard, this solution simplifies compliance by providing easy access to up-to-date current, pending and proposed regulatory requirements worldwide. Get started now!

Sources

  1. Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) Portal European Commission. (n.d.). RASFF – Food and feed safety alerts. Retrieved 1/6/2025, from https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/rasff-window/screen/search
  2. Ingredient Risk Identification by HorizonScan™ Fera Science. (n.d.). HorizonScan: Ingredient risk identification system. FoodChain ID. Retrieved 1/6/2025, from https://www.foodchainid.com/products/horizonscan/

HorizonScan™ was developed by top UK scientists at Fera, formerly the Food and Environment Research Agency, a world-leading scientific organization specializing in food and agriculture. FoodChain ID is the exclusive U.S. distributor of HorizonScan.

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