Pesticide residue refers to traces of plant protection chemicals, including their metabolites and breakdown products, remaining in or on harvested food commodities, and their presence is regulated in the EU under Regulation (EC) 396/2005 to protect consumer safety.
In trade practice
EU buyers routinely require multi-residue screening covering a broad panel of active substances, carried out by an ISO 17025-accredited laboratory, before accepting a shipment. Suppliers should maintain field spray records and observe pre-harvest intervals specified on product labels, as these are the primary controls preventing exceedances. A frequent compliance gap is the use of plant protection products not registered for the crop in question, which can result in a default limit applying under EU rules even if residue levels are low.
In a specification
Specifications should state the minimum number of active substances to be screened, reference Regulation (EC) 396/2005 as the compliance standard, and specify whether any additional retailer-imposed internal limits apply as a private commercial requirement.