The Valencian Association of Farmers (Ava-Asaja) has drawn attention to the chain of food alerts recorded this summer in fruits and vegetables from non-EU countries. The agricultural entity describes as "especially concerning" that the return to routine and the rebound in consumption come after a black August marked by numerous detections of pesticide residues, mycotoxins, metals, and viruses.
In its statement, the organization focuses much of its criticism on Egypt and Turkey. Within weeks, the European RASFF system has reported Egyptian mangoes with multiple residues of phytosanitary products, including chlorpyrifos, clothianidin, and cyfluthrin; frozen strawberries with oxamyl; mangoes with dimethoate and seedless green grapes with acetamiprid. Additionally, norovirus has been identified in strawberries originating from Egypt.
Regarding Turkey, throughout August several incidents have been reported for ochratoxin A and aflatoxins in dried figs, as well as aflatoxin in organic dried and chopped apricots. Acetamiprid, methyl chlorpyrifos, and a mixture of emamectin, formetanate, and tebufenpyrad have also been detected in fresh peppers, etoxazole in peaches, and a high level of nickel in nectarines.
The agricultural organization emphasizes that the problem goes beyond these two origins, "which have been especially monitored in recent years." During August, irregular residues have also been recorded in other products: chlorfenapyr in sun-dried tomatoes from Tunisia, cadmium in avocados from Peru, various pesticide residues in raisins from Iran, or clothianidin in Basmati rice imported from Pakistan.
In light of this scenario, Ava-Asaja demands that the European Union strengthen the level of inspection at border controls to prevent the entry of food shipments that may pose a health risk to community consumers. Furthermore, in the case of those third countries that accumulate a "particularly high" number of non-compliances, the association calls on Brussels to apply exceptional measures until they prove they can guarantee the safety of their exports to the European market.
The president of Ava-Asaja, Cristóbal Aguado, insists that the start of the new agricultural course must be interpreted as a serious warning. "We cannot allow products from third countries where pesticide residues and other substances dangerous to health are detected time and again to enter. If the European system itself detects these incidents, the EU must act and ensure that the food reaching the consumer meets health standards that do guarantee the food produced in European territory," he concluded.