According to information compiled by the EU's European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), 118 food product samples of Latvian origin were analysed in EU member state laboratories; in 87.29% of the samples, no plant protection product (PPP) residues were detected, in 12.71% of samples PPP residues were at an acceptable level, and no instances exceeding the maximum residue limit were found. The purity of food produced in Latvia confirms that significantly fewer PPPs are still being used in Latvian agriculture compared to many other EU member states.
EFSA provides an annual report assessing PPP residue levels in food products on the European market. The 2021 EU report on pesticide residues in food provides an overview of pesticide residue monitoring conducted in EU member states, Iceland, and Norway. In Latvia, 237 samples were analysed within the framework of the EU coordinated multiannual control programme, of which 20.25% were of Latvian origin, 54.43% were of EU origin, and 25.32% were of third-country origin. Exceedances of the maximum residue limit were detected in 2.53% of food produced in other countries.
PPP residues in food of specific country origin*
| Country of origin | No PPP residues detected (%) | PPP residues within permitted limits (%) | PPP residue exceedances (%) |
| Latvia | 87,29 | 12,71 | 0 |
| Lithuania | 88,14 | 11,34 | 0,52 |
| Finland | 83,23 | 16,15 | 0,62 |
| Sweden | 78,59 | 20,33 | 1,08 |
| Netherlands | 60,05 | 39,11 | 0,83 |
| Estonia | 74,79 | 19,78 | 5,49 |
| Denmark | 68,58 | 25,25 | 6,17 |
| Poland | 49,98 | 44,79 | 5,23 |
| Germany | 49,98 | 49,51 | 1,51 |
*The 2021 European Union report on pesticide residues in food, EFSA Journal 2023;21(4):7939
Read article