Moroccan green beans sold in Germany contained 4.5 times too much pesticide

German authorities reported the excessive presence of spiroxamine in a batch of green beans from Morocco. The substance was detected during an inspection carried out directly on the market.

The analyses revealed a concentration of 0.045 milligrams per kilogram, while the maximum permitted residue limit is set at 0.01 milligrams. The level measured was therefore 4.5 times higher than the permitted threshold, according to documents from the European food alert system.

On Bladi.net : article 120951

The shipment had passed through Spain before arriving in Germany. The available information specifies neither the volume concerned nor the identity of the Moroccan exporter or the retailers that sold these green beans.

By the time the results were communicated, the products were no longer in supermarkets. German authorities therefore alerted consumers, as some of the beans may have been purchased before the non-compliance was discovered.

A product classified as toxic to reproduction

Spiroxamine is a systemic fungicide used to combat several diseases caused by fungi, including powdery mildew, rust and certain leaf diseases. It acts by disrupting the formation of fungal cell membranes.

This substance is still among the products approved in the European pesticide database, but it is classified as toxic to reproduction. Its presence in a food product therefore does not automatically imply a ban: in this case, it was exceeding the maximum residue limit that triggered the alert.

On Bladi.net : article 121315

This new incident comes a few months after several European alerts concerning Moroccan fruits and vegetables. In April, another batch of peppers from Morocco had already been blocked in Germany because of excessive levels of abamectin.