The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry introduced EU standards for pesticide limits with a new regulation in January 2025.
Approximately two months have passed since the Ministry’s three-month compliance period. However, some products sent from Turkey to Europe are being returned on the grounds that they contain pesticide residues and aflatoxins. In fact, over the past three weeks, more than 20 products, including grape leaves, dried thyme, pistachios, dried figs, coffee, lemons, and chickpea flour, were either withdrawn from the market or sent back.
Greenpeace Turkey also examined 155 samples taken from 14 different types of vegetables and fruits collected from five chain stores and various neighborhood markets in Istanbul at an international laboratory. The results were alarming! One in three products was found to be non-compliant with regulations, and 61% contained multiple pesticide residues. Is the reason for such high levels in domestic and international food products the producer, the distributor, or inadequate supervision? What should consumers do? We discussed this with Food Engineer Ebru Akdağ.
PESTICIDE LIMITS VARY BY COUNTRY DEPENDING ON DIETARY HABITS
Food Engineer Ebru Akdağ explains that pesticides are chemicals used in cities, gardens, parks, and agriculture to eliminate insects, weeds, reptiles, and bacteria. She adds, “However, in recent years, especially with the spread of industrial agriculture, these chemicals are also seen as an opportunity to increase production yields. Of course, there are producers who act out of a desire to ‘make more profit’ or ‘get more yield’ as well as problems stemming from ignorance. Most producers do not know which chemical to use, how to use it, or how long to wait. Let’s say the product is to be harvested within a week after spraying the pesticide. The farmer hastily harvests the product from the field in three days. Or they use the wrong/illegal product. They use it uncontrollably; for example, they use it excessively close to harvest time. When ignorance is combined with lack of supervision, the problem becomes even bigger.”
GLOBAL WARS HAVE AN IMPACT
Is this why some of the products we send abroad are being returned? The answer is: “Of course, this has an impact. But there is another side to this issue that is less talked about. There are major trade wars going on in the world right now. Consequently, some countries are sending products back, even if they are within legal limits, stating that they have a different policy. This is because acceptable pesticide limits vary from country to country, depending on their agricultural policies and dietary habits.”
IT COULD ALSO BE A PRICING STRATEGY
How is it different? “To put it simply, let’s assume that potatoes are consumed in large quantities in a country. In order to lower the total pesticide limit, the scientific ratio applied to potatoes in that country may be lower than in other countries,” says Akdağ. He continues, reminding us that although a single limit applies for the EU, each country has different limits: “Therefore, products can be sent back by saying, ‘My actual limit is this.’ It is also quite possible for this to be done for commercial reasons, such as lowering prices or disrupting the market.”
HOW IS IT MONITORED?
“Samples are taken at random from every product entering Turkey and leaving us, and these samples undergo testing in a laboratory environment. Meanwhile, if there is a problem with one box of product in a batch and not in the others, the entire batch is sent back. However, that one box of product may have molded due to moisture during transport, increasing the aflatoxin content. Nevertheless, the entire batch is canceled.
WE DON’T EAT THE RETURNED PRODUCTS, BUT WITH ONE CONDITION…
So, do we eat the products that are returned from the border? Akdağ comments, “They are not released into the market; they are destroyed. So we don’t eat them. However, there is some confusion at this point. If the returned products comply with our regulations, there is no problem with consuming them,” he says.
OPEN PRODUCTS ARE MORE DANGEROUS
“Everyone’s eyes are on the border, on the products being returned. But we’re overlooking something. If a product has been exported, it’s highly likely that the rest of that product has already been released onto the domestic market. So even if we don’t eat what’s being returned at the border, there’s a high chance we’re eating the same thing on the domestic market. Products sold in the market, especially nuts and spices sold in the open, sauces, teas and herbal mixtures sold in herbal shops, and milk sold on the street are even more dangerous.”
According to information from the World Health Organization (WHO), pesticides and similar chemicals can cause kidney, bone, and lung problems, as well as respiratory and neurological disorders in children, and hormonal and reproductive system disorders. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry defines aflatoxin as a “strong poison and carcinogenic substance.”
EFFECTIVE MONITORING AND AWARENESS ARE ESSENTIAL
So what is the solution? How can farmers make a profit and consumers’ health be protected? The answer is: “Appropriate farming practices must be implemented, from the first seed planted to irrigation methods, plant protection, and harvesting, and effective agricultural policies must be implemented for this. Not only must the number of inspections increase, but the quality of inspections must also improve, and the employment of food engineers must be increased. With food inflation so high and, unfortunately, consumer demand continuing, risky, unregulated, and uncontrolled products will continue to exist in the market. Therefore, although it is difficult, we must raise awareness among consumers and steer demand toward a more reasonable point.”
NEITHER SOAKING IN VINEGAR WATER NOR BOILING IS THE SOLUTION
Akdağ points out that aflatoxin thrives in moist and warm environments, giving the following examples: “For instance, storing our spices at home on the countertop, in places that are not dry, means we are producing aflatoxin with our own hands and consuming it. Or you bought raw milk from the street and boiled it thoroughly… You cannot eliminate aflatoxin. If it is present, boiling will not get rid of it. Soaking vegetables and greens in vinegar water… That is not a solution either. In fact, I regret to say that vinegar increases the effect of some pesticides. Soaking them in bleach or washing them with soap increases the risk rather than reducing it.
The only solution, which is also the first recommendation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is to wash all greens thoroughly under running water. A fruit and vegetable scrub brush can be used for hard fruits and vegetables.
