17 samples, standard-grown
2024 · Germany · EFSA consolidated official controls · Calendar year
Pesticide residues found on olive oils
23.5% of standard-grown samples had at least one detected residue. Standard-grown means samples not identified as organic (called conventional in the source data). Detection does not, by itself, mean the food was unsafe.
All reported results below quantification
Two or more residues detected
Highest observed count: 4
Based on the reported compliance evaluation
6 samples, interpret cautiously
Residue detail
What was found on olive oils?
The most frequently detected residues across all 23 samples. This is the complete available table for this monitoring entry.
23samples checked
Detection does not establish harm. Health risk depends on both toxicity and the amount a person is exposed to.
What do these types mean?
- FungicideControls fungal diseases such as moulds and mildews.
- InsecticideControls insects that damage crops or stored food.
- HerbicideControls weeds competing with a crop.
- Growth regulatorChanges plant growth, development or ripening.
- Other / mixedCovers multiple substances or a role that cannot be reliably assigned from the published name.
These labels describe agricultural function, not a toxicity ranking.
| Residue | Type | Samples | Median | Higher result | Typical published limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deltamethrin (RD) | Other / mixed | 3 (13%) | 0.02 mg/kg | 0.038 mg/kg | 0.6 mg/kg |
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗ | |||||
| Difenoconazole (RD) | Other / mixed | 2 (8.7%) | 0.025 mg/kg | 0.026 mg/kg | 2 mg/kg |
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗ | |||||
| Tebuconazole (RD) | Other / mixed | 2 (8.7%) | 0.014 mg/kg | 0.016 mg/kg | 0.5 mg/kg |
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗ | |||||
| Trifloxystrobin (RD) | Other / mixed | 1 (4.3%) | 0.075 mg/kg | 0.075 mg/kg | 0.3 mg/kg |
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗ | |||||
| Lambda-cyhalothrin (RD) | Other / mixed | 1 (4.3%) | 0.037 mg/kg | 0.037 mg/kg | 0.5 mg/kg |
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗ | |||||
| Acetamiprid (RD) | Other / mixed | 1 (4.3%) | 0.01 mg/kg | 0.01 mg/kg | 3 mg/kg |
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗ | |||||
| Flupyradifurone (RD) | Other / mixed | 1 (4.3%) | 0.01 mg/kg | 0.01 mg/kg | 5 mg/kg |
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗ | |||||
| Chlorpyrifos (RD) | Other / mixed | 1 (4.3%) | 0.01 mg/kg | 0.01 mg/kg | 0.01 mg/kg |
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗ | |||||
“Higher result” is an approximate 95th-percentile observed concentration, not a safety threshold. Amounts of different pesticides should not be added together or compared directly. Functional types describe their usual agricultural role; they are not hazard or toxicity rankings.
ADI and ARfD are intake reference values, not limits for one food sample. A personal assessment would also require consumption, body-weight and wider exposure data. Source programmes report legal Maximum Residue Level results separately.
What this tells you
A monitoring result, not a verdict.
EFSA consolidates official control results reported by national authorities; sampling strategies and food coverage differ between countries. It is not a test of every olive oils product sold in Germany. This entry’s latest included calendar year release is from 2024.
Published MRLs or tolerances are regulatory limits associated with pesticide use. Consumer-risk assessment is a separate process.
Limited sample coverage. Fewer than 20 samples: useful as a monitoring snapshot, but sensitive to individual results.
Compare organic and standard-grown results →Common questions
How to read these olive oils results
Were pesticide residues detected on olive oils?
23.5% of 17 standard-grown samples in the 2024 EFSA consolidated official controls dataset had at least one quantified residue.
Does that mean olive oils were unsafe?
No. A laboratory detection is not, by itself, a consumer-risk finding. Regulators assess dietary risk separately.
Should I buy organic olive oils?
The monitored organic samples had a 0% detection rate, compared with 23.5% for standard-grown samples. This is a shopping-priority comparison, not a health-risk score.