A shipment of Russian cucumbers was denied entry into the EU after border checks in Poland detected high levels of the insecticide pymetrozine, which is used to combat aphids and whiteflies, according to HortoInfo.
The fresh cucumbers, intended for the European market, were transported through a Belarusian operator but were stopped at the Poland-Belarus border due to excessive pesticide residues. The shipment was then sent back to its country of origin.
Tests conducted by Polish border authorities on February 4 revealed pymetrozine levels of 0.13 ± 0.07 mg/kg, far exceeding the maximum residue limit (MRL) of 0.02 mg/kg allowed in the EU.
Pymetrozine is a selective systemic insecticide that disrupts insect feeding behavior by acting on neural receptors, causing aphids and whiteflies to stop feeding and die from starvation.
Source: hortoinfo.es