European Union: EFSA - Data on chemicals in food

Traces of chemicals are sometimes detected in food and drinks: pesticides in fruit and vegetables, veterinary drugs in meat and other animal-derived products, or environmental contaminants in various foodstuffs.

A new EFSA report aims to give non-specialists a balanced view of the findings of annual EU-wide monitoring of levels of chemicals in food. The report provides context that is sometimes lacking when examples of chemicals detected in food are reported by the media.

According to EFSA report, in relation to veterinary drug residues in pigs:

• Of the 130,000 samples taken from pigs, 279 were non-compliant (0.21%).
• Heavy metals accounted for 149 of them, the majority of which were for copper.
• There were 60 samples with non-compliant levels of antibacterials, of which sulfamides were the most frequent substances reported.
• There were 31 non-compliant samples for steroids including the growth hormone nandrolone.
• Some media coverage has reported on pigs testing positive for antiobiotics