4% of samples, nonetheless, had residual levels over allowed limits.

The data were made public today as a part of a study on pesticide residue in EU-sourced foods produced from plants and animals by the European Food Safety Authority.

Department of Agriculture personnel collected 1,716 samples in Ireland from stores, warehouses, slaughterhouses, ports, and airports. These samples were then examined at a food chemistry lab in Ireland and another facility in Germany.

Pesticide residues were found to be absent in 55% of samples, within legally permissible levels in 40% of samples, and beyond permissible levels in 4% of tests (72 samples).

The results of the monitoring programmes, which are based on 110,000 samples, according to the European Food Safety Authority, are a useful source of data for calculating the dietary exposure of EU consumers to pesticide residues.

In the European Union, 98% of samples had no residue or traces that were within allowed limits, while 1.6% had more than allowed limits.

The EFSA determines that the estimated exposure to pesticide residues in the foods examined poses little danger to consumer health based on its evaluation of the data.