Lemons from Spain
How often official samples of lemons grown in Spain break the EU maximum residue level for pesticides, by why the sample was taken.
Across 48 random market samples taken by 4 EU countries, 0% were above the limit (95% interval 0%–7.4%). UK supermarkets: 25 samples since 2023, 0 above the UK limit.
Random market samples
0 of 48 random samples were above the limit: 0% (95% interval 0%–7.4%). Samples taken by DE, FR, IT, NL in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, pooled.
Also on file, never turned into a rate because inspectors chose them: 155 risk-based and 0 follow-up samples.
UK supermarket samples
| Month | Retailer | Residues found (mg/kg) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-10 | Spar | imazalil 1.8 (MRL = 5); pyraclostrobin 0.019 (MRL = 2); pyrimethanil 3 (MRL = 8); thiabendazole 2.1 (MRL = 7) |
| 2023-10 | Lidl | none found |
| 2023-09 | Spar | 2,4-D (sum) 0.2 (MRL = 1); imazalil 1.3 (MRL = 5); pyraclostrobin 0.033 (MRL = 2); pyrimethanil 0.63 (MRL = 8); thiabendazole 1.5 (MRL = 7) |
| 2023-07 | Lidl | none found |
| 2023-07 | Dunnes Stores | none found |
| 2023-06 | Lidl | none found |
| 2023-06 | Asda | none found |
| 2023-06 | Lidl | hexythiazox 0.041 (MRL = 1); imazalil 0.93 (MRL = 5) |
| 2023-05 | Sainsbury's | acetamiprid 0.02 (MRL = 0.9); trifloxystrobin 0.017 (MRL = 0.5); zoxamide 0.018 (MRL = 0.02*) |
| 2023-05 | Asda | fludioxonil 0.96 (MRL = 10); hexythiazox 0.026 (MRL = 1); imazalil 1.1 (MRL = 5) |
| 2023-05 | Lidl | fludioxonil 0.23 (MRL = 10); imazalil 1 (MRL = 5); pyraclostrobin 0.023 (MRL = 2); pyrimethanil 0.011 (MRL = 8) |
| 2023-04 | Iceland | fludioxonil 0.42 (MRL = 10); imidacloprid 0.023 (MRL = 1); imazalil 0.53 (MRL = 5); thiabendazole 0.2 (MRL = 7) |
| 2023-04 | Co-op | imazalil 0.13 (MRL = 5) |
| 2023-04 | SuperValu | none found |
| 2023-03 | Tesco | fludioxonil 0.036 (MRL = 10); hexythiazox 0.011 (MRL = 0.5); imazalil 1.4 (MRL = 5); pyrimethanil 0.017 (MRL = 10); pyriproxifen 0.14 (MRL = 0.6) |
| 2023-03 | Lidl | none found |
| 2023-03 | Sainsbury's | none found |
| 2023-03 | Iceland | imazalil 1.5 (MRL = 5); pyrimethanil 2 (MRL = 10); pyriproxifen 0.11 (MRL = 0.6); spirotetramat (sum) 0.032 (MRL = 0.5) |
| 2023-02 | Co-op | hexythiazox 0.021 (MRL = 0.5); imazalil 1.1 (MRL = 5); pyrimethanil 1.8 (MRL = 10); spirotetramat (sum) 0.05 (MRL = 0.5) |
| 2023-02 | Lidl | none found |
| 2023-02 | Lidl | imazalil 0.95 (MRL = 5); spirotetramat (sum) 0.038 (MRL = 0.5) |
| 2023-02 | SuperValu | imazalil 1.5 (MRL = 5); pyrimethanil 1.9 (MRL = 10) |
| 2023-01 | Co-op | imazalil 2 (MRL = 5) |
| 2023-01 | Tesco | fludioxonil 0.055 (MRL = 10); imazalil 1.6 (MRL = 5); pyrimethanil 0.026 (MRL = 10); pyriproxifen 0.037 (MRL = 0.6) |
| 2023-01 | Tesco | fludioxonil 0.079 (MRL = 10); imazalil 2 (MRL = 5); pyrimethanil 0.025 (MRL = 10) |
Defra's Pesticide Residues in Food programme. UK limits mirror the EU's as retained in 2021 and may since differ.
Testing a shipment?
The substances listed on this page are the ones that most often break the EU limit on this product from this origin. A lab panel that covers them is the cheapest way to avoid a rejection.
Data
Download every sample behind this page (CSV): series, reporting country, year, month, over the limit, substances. How each sample is classified.