Organic Farming - How Environmental Analyses Serve Food Safety

Soil, Water and Plant Samples as Indicators of the Contamination Risk of Plant Protection Products 

Feb 2020. The use of synthetic plant protection products in organic farming is prohibited. And yet, under certain conditions, pesticides can inadvertently enter plants through air, water and soil. All companies in the supply chain of organic products, including farmers and other organic companies, are obliged to take "proportionate and appropriate" precautionary measures to identify contamination risks and protect organic products from contamination by unauthorised substances and products. The analysis of environmental samples helps to verify the suitability of arable land for organic farming, to detect the improper use of plant protection products in conventional and organic farming, to identify sources of inputs and thus prevent subsequent food contamination.

Scope of Analysis in Environmental Samples

In addition to the standard analysis of pesticides in food and feed Eurofins offers the analysis of pesticides in environmental samples such as soil, water and plant parts. So-called multi-residue methods (pesticide screenings) have proven to be particularly helpful in this respect. Depending on the sample material, 500 - 600 different active ingredients can be detected. The limit of quantification is mainly 0.01 mg/kg, in water 0.05 µg/l. For active substances that cannot be detected by such a multi-residue method for analytical reasons, Eurofins also offers single methods for environmental samples, such as the analysis for

•  glyphosate and its metabolite AMPA (herbicides)
•  phenoxyalkanoic acids (acid herbicides)
•  dithiocarbamates (fungicides)

Water and plant samples can be additionally analysed for the contaminants chlorate and perchlorate, plant samples for fosetyl Al and phosponic acid.

We Answer Your Questions

Do you have questions regarding our offer for pesticide residue analysis in environmental samples? Simply contact your personal customer advisor or contact us directly using the contact details provided.

For Further Information

• German Federal Environment Agency: Pecticides in the Environment
• Regulation (EC) no 396/2005 on maximum residue levels of pesticides in or on food and feed of plant and animal origin
• EU Pesticides database