Pomegranates in Focus – Update 2022 to 2024
Land of Origin Still Matters
Leonie Moser, Dr. Anne Benkenstein
Pomegranates enjoy great popularity among consumers due to their versatility, whether consumed as juice, in smoothies, or in salads. In an earlier report in 2022, "Pomegranates - the Land of Origin Matters", we presented our analytical results on contamination of these fruits from plant protector substances . At that time many samples had exceeded the prescribed limit values. In this up-date we're following up: has the situation improved in the last three years?
Illustration 1: Pomegranates
What is analysed?
The maximum residue levels (MRL) for pesticides (the legal maximum amount of pesticide residues allowed in food) is established based on good agricultural practices. Not only is the typical application of plant protector substances considered, but also the smallest quantity technically possible to detect, in order to protect especially sensitive groups of people . The part of the food for which these maximum residue levels are valid is listed in Appendix 1 of Regulation (EC) No. 396/2005 . Although pomegranates are eaten without the peel, the whole fruit (with peel) is analyzed in order to establish compliance with the legal stipulations. As a rule, the ready-to-eat product should contain low levels of residues.
Analytical Results
From 2022 to 2024 a total of 117 conventionally grown pomegranates were examined. More than half of the samples came from Turkey, several from Peru and Spain, and individual samples from Egypt, Israel, Namibia and Portugal (see Table 1).
| Country of Origin |
No. of Samples
|
Average Amount of Residues
|
Ave. Amount of Residues Excluding Fosetyl (sum*)
|
Substances per Sample Including Fosetyl (sum)
|
No. of Samples > MRL (%)
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt |
1
|
0.003
|
0.003
|
2
|
0
|
| Greece |
1
|
6.3
|
0.051
|
3
|
0
|
| Israel |
1
|
0.16
|
0.16
|
8
|
0
|
| Italy |
1
|
1.1
|
1.1
|
4
|
0
|
| Namibia |
1
|
1.1
|
0.062
|
8
|
1
|
| Peru |
17 (15 %)
|
0.2
|
0.16
|
2.2
|
2 (12 %)
|
| Portugal |
2
|
0.018
|
0.018
|
0.5
|
0
|
| Spain |
11 (9 %)
|
0.25
|
0.24
|
3.5
|
1 (9 %)
|
| Turkey |
78 (67 %)
|
0.79
|
0.16
|
5.6
|
24 (31 %)
|
| Unknown |
4
|
0.16
|
0.07
|
3
|
1
|
| Total |
117
|
0.66
|
0.20
|
4.7
|
29 (25 %)
|
Residues of several different pesticides in one sample, so-called multiple residues, were found in 85 % (99 of 117) of the samples. The highest number of different substances per sample was detected in samples from Turkey, Israel and Namibia, although only one sample each from Israel and Namibia was analyzed (see Table 1). The highest level of pesticide (excluding fosetyl) was found in a sample from Italy, at 1.1 mg/kg. Among the 117 analyzed samples, 29 (25 %) contained at least one substance that exceeded the authorized limit value and were therefore legally objectionable in terms of food law. One of these samples came from Spain, one from Namibia, one from an unknown origin, and two from Peru. The highest number of samples with excessive residue levels came from Turkey. Among the Turkish pomegranates were 40 cases with a total of 20 different substances above their respective legal maximum levels. The insecticide acetamiprid was especially often detected in levels above the authorized residue limit (see Table 2).
| Country of Origin |
No. of Samples
|
> Maximum Level (%)
|
No. of Substances > Maximum Level
|
Substances > Maximum Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Namibia |
1
|
1
|
1
|
Sulfoxaflor |
| Peru |
17 (15 %)
|
2 (12 %)
|
1
|
Imidacloprid, Pyriproxyfen |
| Spain |
11 (9 %)
|
1 (9 %)
|
1
|
Spinosad |
| Turkey |
45
|
23 (51 %)
|
43
|
Acetamiprid (12x), Azoxystrobin (2x), Buprofezin, Chlorpyrifos, Chlorpyrifos-methyl, Deltamethrin, Fenvalerat (sum), Flonicamid (sum) (3x), Imazalil (4x), Lambda-Cyhalothrin, Malathion (sum), Propiconazole, Pyraclostrobin, Py-riproxyfen (2x), Spirodiclofen, Sulfoxaflor (3x), Tau-Fluvalinate, Tebuconazole, Thiabendazole, Thiophanate-methyl |
| Unknown |
4
|
1
|
1
|
Deltamethrin |
Compared to the last reporting period of 2019–2021, the proportion of samples with exceedances of the legally set limit value decreased only slightly, from 31 % to 25 %. This rate is still significantly higher than that for fruit in general, whose rate of violations is 5 %. That means, on average, every 20th fruit sample analyzed by us has residues above the limit value, whereas every fourth pomegranate does. Further information regarding our findings for fruit is presented in our Internet report (in German) "Residues in Fruit 2024" . Illustration 2 shows a comparison of the total number of samples analyzed and their violations for the three highest countries of origin for the two reporting periods.
Illustration 2: Number of analyzed pomegranate samples from Peru, Spain and Turkey with MRL exceedances, from 2019–2021 and 2022–2024, in comparison
Pomegranates from Organic Production
Five samples of organically grown pomegranates were also analyzed in the years 2022–2024. Two of the samples came from Peru, and one each from Spain, Italy and Greece. One of these samples was written up for containing elevated amounts of fosetyl-al (sum) residues, an active substance that can also end up in plants as a result of certain fertilizers. The remaining samples were inconspicuous.
Info Box
Phosphonic Acid and Fosetyl
Both fosetyl and phosphonic acid are fungicides that are permitted for use in the EU and fall under the applications area of Reg. (EC) No. 396/2005, regardless of their path of entry. In addition to their use as a fungicide, another feasible means of exposure could have been via fertilizers (so-called leaf fertilizers) that contained phosphonates (salts of phosphonic acid). The categorization in 2014 of phosphonic acids as a fungicide precludes this application, however. There are some indications, however, that plants retain phosphonic acids, only eliminating them over a period of some years, so later findings could result from an earlier application when fertilizing was still permitted.
Conclusion
All in all, the situation for pomegranates has improved somewhat: the rate of excessive pesticide residues sank from 31 % to 25 %. That means, among the currently analyzed samples, every fourth pomegranate is conspicuous, in contrast to that for fruits in general, at every 20th sample.
The residue situation of pomegranates from Turkey remains especially striking: approximately one-third of the samples were violatory, even though the values are significantly lower than in the timeframe of 2019–21 (51 %). In contrast, pomegranates from other countries of origin were largely inconspicuous.
Important to know: in accordance with specifications, pomegranates are always analyzed with the peel, although it is not usually eaten. As a rule, low levels of residues are expected in the fruit flesh itself. In order to confirm this assumption, a project is planned for the near future where only the inner part of the fruit will be analyzed.
Our tip when shopping: it's worth taking a look at the origin of the fruit.
Photo Credit
Pomgranates: Anne Benkenstein
References
Online article "Pomegranates - the Land of Origin Matters", Hanna Dias, published on 25.03.2022
A wide range of up-to-date information on the subject of pesticides can be found on the website of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), accessed on 22 September 2025
Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 February 2005 on maximum residue levels of pesticides in or on food and feed of plant and animal origin and amending Council Directive 91/414/EEC (OJ L 70/1) , as last amended by Regulation (EU) 2025/158 of 29 January 2025 (OJ L, 2025/158, 29.01.2025)
Online article "Rückstände und Kontaminanten in Frischobst aus konventionellem Anbau 2024" Kathi Hacker, Marc Wieland und Ellen Scherbaum, published on 8.04.2025
Translator
Catherine Leiblein
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