2026 · United Kingdom · UK Pesticide Residues in Food monitoring · Quarterly Q1

Pesticide residues found on orange juice

48.3% 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.

Compare with other foods →

Any residue48.3%Moderate organic-buying priority

29 samples, standard-grown

No quantified residue51.7%Moderate organic-buying priority

All reported results below quantification

Multiple residues17.2%Moderate organic-buying priority

Two or more residues detected

Median residue count0Lower organic-buying priority

Highest observed count: 4

Above published limit0%Lower organic-buying priority

Parser-based MRL comparison

Organic comparisonNot availableNot enough published data

Withheld: only 1 sample

Annual context

How monitored results changed

Each row is a separate targeted survey. Samples can differ by retailer, origin and season, so this is context rather than a trend claim.

Year	Standard-grown samples	Any residue	Multiple residues	Organic samples	Organic any residue
2026 ↗Quarterly Q1	29	48.3%	17.2%	1	Withheld
2023 ↗Annual	45	17.8%	11.1%	3	Withheld
2020 ↗Annual	33	15.2%	15.2%	3	Withheld

Residue detail

What was found on orange juice?

The most frequently detected residues across all 30 samples. This is the complete available table for this monitoring entry.

30samples 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
acephate	Other / mixed	9 (30%)	0.003 mg/kg	0.005 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 ↗
imazalil	Fungicide	5 (16.7%)	0.05 mg/kg	0.1 mg/kg	0.12 mg/kg
Reviewed evidence What regulators assessed: Regulatory limits were derived from animal studies that observed changes including body-weight gain, blood chemistry and liver weight at higher doses. Reference values Role Fungicide, including post-harvest treatment Long-term reference (ADI) 0–0.03 mg/kg body weight per day Single-day reference (ARfD) 0.05 mg/kg body weight Reviewed from WHO/FAO JMPR, 2018 ↗
pyrimethanil	Fungicide	4 (13.3%)	0.025 mg/kg	0.03 mg/kg	8 mg/kg
Reviewed evidence What regulators assessed: The long-term reference value was based on liver and thyroid changes observed in animal studies at higher doses. Reference values Role Fungicide Long-term reference (ADI) 0–0.2 mg/kg body weight per day Single-day reference (ARfD) Not considered necessary by JMPR Reviewed from WHO/FAO JMPR, 2007 ↗
2-phenylphenol	Other / mixed	3 (10%)	0.1 mg/kg	0.2 mg/kg	10 mg/kg
Health summary pending No reviewed substance-specific summary is available, so no health effect is inferred. Search WHO/FAO JMPR ↗
thiabendazole	Fungicide	3 (10%)	0.05 mg/kg	0.08 mg/kg	1.19 mg/kg
Reviewed evidence What regulators assessed: The long-term guidance value was based on body-weight suppression and nephrosis observed in an animal study at higher doses. Reference values Role Fungicide and veterinary anthelmintic Long-term reference (ADI) 0–0.1 mg/kg body weight per day Single-day reference (ARfD) 1 mg/kg body weight (general population); 0.3 mg/kg for women of child-bearing age Reviewed from WHO/FAO JMPR, 2019 ↗

“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.

The UK programme is risk-based and targets foods where residues may be expected. It is not a test of every orange juice product sold in United Kingdom. This entry’s latest included quarterly q1 release is from 2026.

Comparable annual records are available for 2026, 2023, 2020.

Published MRLs or tolerances are regulatory limits associated with pesticide use. Consumer-risk assessment is a separate process.

Moderate sample coverage. 20–49 samples: a useful monitoring snapshot, though not a population estimate.

Compare organic and standard-grown results →

Common questions

How to read these orange juice results

Were pesticide residues detected on orange juice?

48.3% of 29 standard-grown samples in the 2026 UK Pesticide Residues in Food monitoring dataset had at least one quantified residue.

Does that mean orange juice were unsafe?

No. A laboratory detection is not, by itself, a consumer-risk finding. Regulators assess dietary risk separately.

Should I buy organic orange juice?

There were only 1 organic samples, so Residue Lens withholds the comparison.