Poland did not allow Ukrainian apples into the EU because they exceeded pesticide limits
Polish regulatory authorities have detained a shipment of fresh apples from Ukraine due to pesticide residue levels exceeding permissible limits. Laboratory tests detected two chemicals, including carbendazim, the use of which for plant protection is prohibited in the European Union. The Polish authorities decided to return the entire shipment to the Ukrainian shipper.
During border inspections, experts found that apple samples exceeded the maximum permissible residue levels for two substances—spiromesifen and carbendazim.
According to laboratory test results, the concentration of spiromesifen was 0.042 mg/kg, compared to the permissible limit of 0.02 mg/kg. Thus, its concentration exceeded the established limit by more than double.
An even more significant exceedance was recorded for the fungicide carbendazim. Its concentration in the tested samples ranged from 0.046 to 0.086 mg/kg, while the maximum permissible level is 0.01 mg/kg.
In one of the samples, the carbendazim content exceeded the permissible limit by 8.6 times. The use of this chemical compound as a plant protection product is completely banned within the EU.
Upon receiving the laboratory analysis results, the Polish authorities immediately forwarded the information to the European Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF).
The incident was classified in the system as a serious risk. Based on the inspection results, the regulatory authorities decided to return the entire shipment of apples to the Ukrainian shipper, preventing it from entering the European Union market.
Poland is one of the key players in the European apple market and remains the largest producer of this product in the European Union.
According to data from 2024, Polish orchards accounted for 29% of the total apple harvest in the EU. In total, 11.6 million metric tons of apples were harvested in the European Union that year.
This incident highlights the importance of complying with EU requirements regarding pesticide residues when exporting Ukrainian agricultural products to the European market.
This was reported by the Polish industry publication Sad24.
Meanwhile, prices for greenhouse tomatoes continue to rise in Ukraine. Currently, sellers are offering the vegetables at 50–75 UAH per kilogram, which is on average 14% more expensive than at the end of last week.
It should be noted that prices for certain products in Ukraine have risen over the past three days.
As a reminder, prices for berries are rising in Ukraine due to a European shortage.
Changes in the dollar exchange rate may affect the cost of a number of products in Ukrainian stores. Goods that Ukraine imports or produces from foreign raw materials are most at risk of becoming more expensive.
Ukraine has seen a rise in wholesale prices for domestically grown tomatoes. At the capital’s wholesale market, red, pink, and ground tomatoes have become more expensive. At the same time, prices in retail chains vary significantly depending on the type of product, region, and the availability of special promotional offers.
