Vietnamese durian pesticide residues seriously exceed the limit, EU increases random inspection rate

The article outlines the regulatory compliance requirements for exporting pitaya, chili, okra, and durian from Vietnam to the European Union (EU). It highlights the mandatory testing for pesticide residue and the specific sampling rates for each product. The article also brings to attention the issue of excess pesticide residue levels in Vietnamese durian, which exceeds the EU's maximum residue limits. The EU monitors importers' compliance with food safety regulations and performs border inspections accordingly. Currently, these agricultural products are still under Appendix I, which does not require food safety certificates, but there are plans to move them to Appendix II, which would mandate presentation of food safety inspection certificates to ensure compliance with the EU's food safety standards.

In addition, the sampling rates of pitaya, chili and okra exported from Vietnam to the EU are 30%, 50% and 50% respectively. When the above three products are imported into the EU, they must be accompanied by the results of pesticide residue analysis. Vu Chunnan, deputy director of the Vietnam National Animal and Plant Health Epidemiology and Quarantine Notification and Advisory Office (Vietnam SPS Office), said that many active pesticides have high residues on durian, such as carbendazim, fipronil, azoxystrobin, methoxymorph, metalaxyl, cyhalothrin and acetamiprid. The EU stipulates the maximum residue levels (MRL) of these active ingredients 0.005-0.1 mg/kg. However, the residue level of Vietnamese durian exported to the EU is as high as 0.021-6.3 mg/kg, which exceeds the prescribed residue level by many times. The EU regularly reviews importers' compliance with food safety regulations every 6 months to adjust the frequency of border inspections for each product. According to ...