29% of fruits are contaminated with pesticides in Europe. This is the observation made by the NGO Pesticide Action Network Europe (PAN), following a study carried out in 2019. Based on the analysis of 97,000 fresh fruit samples, this report had also been made in 2011 where only 18% of the fruits contained traces of pesticides.

So, while the European Union was supposed to limit the use of these products, the opposite happened and the situation is even more worrying than 10 years ago. Indeed, since 2011, Member States had to limit as much as possible the use of pesticides considered to be the most at risk. However, according to Salomé Roynel, campaign manager at PAN Europe, “member states do not respect the legal obligation to favor substitutes”.

For Salomé Roynel, Europe must react so that the dynamic is reversed. “We can’t get out of it without public action. We need a real proactive policy on alternatives to these toxic products which requires financial assistance,” she explains.

Vegetables are generally less affected than fruits. Indeed, following the analyzes of 113,057 samples, PAN Europe concluded that 13% of vegetables were concerned in 2019. In 2011, this figure was 11%. The increase is therefore less visible, but it is still present.

While fruits and vegetables are still very affected in general, the study conducted by PAN Europe shows that some are more affected than others. Discover the list of the 7 fruits and vegetables most contaminated by pesticides.