New pesticide limits in food 2026: what farmers and agri-food industry must review

Key data

If you apply plant protection products on your farm, manufacture or market plant products, or import plant-based food into the EU, this regulation affects you directly. Regulation (EU) 2026/2289, published on 16 October 2026, amends Regulation (EC) No. 396/2005 —the European reference framework for maximum residue limits of pesticides in food— updating the thresholds for 6 specific active substances.

The reason for the change is new scientific assessments by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on the safety of these pesticides. When the EFSA reviews its conclusions, the European Commission is obliged to update the MRLs. The result: thresholds that were valid yesterday may not be valid tomorrow.

What does this regulation establish?

The regulation amends Annex II of Regulation (EC) 396/2005, which is the official list of MRLs applicable in the EU. The six pesticides with updated limits are:

MRLs are the maximum levels of residues of an active substance that may legally be present in food or feed. They are expressed in milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) of product. If an official control analysis detects residues above the current MRL, the product may be blocked, withdrawn from the market or destroyed.

The regulation does not specify in the published text whether the new thresholds are more restrictive or more permissive than the previous ones for each substance and specific product: that detail appears in the technical tables of the amended Annex II, accessible from the official source.

Economic and operational impact

The economic impact of MRL non-compliance can be very significant. The direct consequences are:

• Product withdrawal from the market: if a batch exceeds the new MRL, it must be withdrawn from sale, with the cost of destruction or return that this entails.
• Administrative sanctions: non-compliance with MRLs is classified as an infraction under Spanish and European food safety regulations, with sanctions that can be serious or very serious depending on applicable national legislation.
• Border blockade for importers: products from third countries that do not comply with the new MRLs will be rejected in EU import controls, with total loss of the shipment's value.
• Review of application protocols: farmers using these substances must review doses, safety periods and authorized crops to ensure that residues at harvest do not exceed the new thresholds.

The operational cost of adaptation depends on the size of the farm or company, but includes at minimum: review of the field notebook, updating of plant protection product application records and, in many cases, additional testing before marketing.

Who does it affect?

• Farmers and agricultural cooperatives that apply acequinocyl, deltamethrin, dodine, maleic hydrazide, pinoxaden or prothioconazole in their crops.
• Agri-food industry that processes, packages or markets fresh or processed plant products in which these substances are used.
• Importers of plant products from third countries: must verify that their suppliers comply with the new EU MRLs, not those of the country of origin.
• Exporters of Spanish plant products to other markets that take European regulations as a reference.
• Laboratories and quality control companies that carry out pesticide residue testing: must update their methods and reference values.
• Agricultural technical advisors and ATRIAs that advise on the use of plant protection products on farms.

Practical example

A Spanish exporter of pome fruit (apples or pears) that applies dodine as a fungicide on their farm currently has a specific MRL for that crop. With the entry into force of Regulation (EU) 2026/2289, that threshold may have changed.

If the exporter does not review the new MRL and continues to apply dodine with the same doses and safety periods as before, it may happen that their product arrives at the import control point of an EU country with residues exceeding the new limit. The result: shipment rejection, loss of the total value of the batch and possible opening of a sanctioning file by the competent authority.

The solution is simple but requires prior action: consult the updated Annex II for the specific combination of active substance and crop, adjust the application protocol if necessary, and perform a verification test before the first shipment after the regulation comes into force.

What should companies do now?

1. Identify if you use any of the 6 affected pesticides (acequinocyl, deltamethrin, dodine, maleic hydrazide, pinoxaden or prothioconazole) in your farm or supply chain.
2. Consult the updated Annex II of Regulation (EC) 396/2005 to learn the new specific MRLs for each combination of active substance and agricultural product. The full text is available from the official source linked at the end of this article.
3. Review and update plant protection product application protocols: doses, number of applications, safety period before harvest and authorized crops.
4. Update analytical quality controls for importers and exporters: verify that the new MRLs are incorporated in the analysis methods and in the batch acceptance criteria.
5. Communicate changes to the supply chain: if you are a distributor or processing industry, inform your agricultural suppliers of the new thresholds you will require in your raw material receipts.
6. Document all updates in the field notebook or quality management system, to prove compliance in case of inspection.

Official source

Consult complete regulation from official source

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/./legal-content/AUTO/?uri=OJ:L_202602289