Pesticides in our vegetables: what the latest tests found, and why nothing happens
In June, only 15 of 44 fruit and vegetable samples tested by the Pesticides Regulatory Office were free of residues. Seven results broke the legal limit, one chilli by 317 times, and twenty samples carried pesticides not approved for that crop. The law that should punish this has waited eight years for its rules.
Photo: USDA, Public domain
In short
June tests: the Pesticides Regulatory Office (PRO) analysed 44 samples from farms, auction markets and supermarkets. Only 15 had no detectable residue; 7 results were above the legal limit and 20 samples contained a pesticide not approved for that crop.
The worst case: a chilli from Triolet carried chlorothalonil at 3.175 mg/kg, against a limit of 0.01: 317 times the maximum. A brinjal (anguive) from Triolet carried eight different molecules.
Not a one-off: from January to October 2025, 21.6% of 787 samples failed the rules, and from May to July 2026 almost 3 in 10 of 151 samples had an unapproved pesticide.
No penalty: a failed sample leads to an "improvement notice", a warning and more testing. The four regulations that the Use of Pesticides Act 2018 needs to set limits and sanctions are still not in force; the Minister says a roadmap is ready.
For your plate: one meal above a limit is not in itself poisonous, but repeated exposure is what worries health authorities, and washing removes only what is on the surface.
What the June tests found
The PRO, part of the Ministry of Agro-industry, takes samples every week at farms, markets, supermarkets, wholesale markets and ports, and has them analysed by the Food Technology Laboratory and private laboratories. Its June report covers 44 samples: 25 from farms, 12 from auction markets and 7 from supermarkets.
Seven results were above the maximum residue limit (MRL), the legal ceiling for a given pesticide on a given crop. All three chillies tested were among them. Twenty contained a pesticide that is not recommended for that crop at all, from tomatoes and cabbage to lettuce, coriander, celery, cucumber, aubergine and sweet peppers. Only 15 were clean.
A pattern, not an accident
From May to July 2026, the PRO tested 151 samples: 52% had no detectable residue, 13% had residues within the limits, 7% were above them and 30% contained a pesticide not approved for the crop (some samples fall in more than one group). Over January to October 2025, 21.6% of 787 samples failed.
Ten years ago, an L'Express investigation found 9 of 45 samples above European limits, and the government laboratory's share of produce above thresholds had risen from 2.3% to 10% in four years. The molecules have changed since then (only flonicamid, on lalo, appears in both lists), but the misuse has not. Pesticide imports keep growing: 2.5 million kg in 2016, 2.7 million kg in 2020, and up 51% between 2023 and 2024, according to Statistics Mauritius figures cited by L'Express.
Why it happens
An agricultural consultant interviewed by L'Express pointed to new growers without training, the wrong product chosen for a crop, doses meant for a 250-litre tank used on a small plot, and a market that rejects any vegetable with a mark on it. Short-cycle crops such as lettuce are harvested quickly, so the waiting time between the last spray and the harvest is easy to miss.
"Not recommended" does not always mean a dangerous dose: it means the product is not approved for that crop, so nobody has checked what residue it leaves there. Some residues may also come from one product breaking down into another.
Is it dangerous?
Legal limits are set to reflect good farming practice, generally far below the levels considered harmful, so one vegetable above a limit is a sign of bad practice rather than proof of harm. The World Health Organization says pesticides can have acute or chronic effects depending on the substance, the amount and how people are exposed, and that some are linked to long-term effects including cancers. What matters most is repeated exposure over years, and cocktails of several molecules, whose combined effects are poorly known.
On 2 October 2026 the Cabinet set up an interministerial committee to work with the WHO on a possible link between pesticide exposure and certain cancers in Mauritius.
What the law does, and does not do
The Use of Pesticides Act 2018 allows the Government to set legal limits for local and imported produce, sampling rules, rules on mixing, spraying and disposing of empty containers, and compulsory training and certification for users. None of these four regulations is in force yet. Without them, a failed sample leads to an improvement notice, more sampling and awareness work, and a warning if it happens again, but no fine.
At a press conference on 21 October 2026, the Minister of Agro-industry, Arvin Boolell, acknowledged the delay, said a roadmap is ready and that possible sanctions are being studied, and is relying meanwhile on awareness campaigns and training for planters. Control is strict at import but weakens once produce reaches the market, and responsibility is split between several ministries and three laws (the Food Act, the Dangerous Chemicals Control Act and the 2018 Act).
What you can do
Washing and peeling remove residues on the surface, not those the plant has absorbed. A perfect-looking vegetable is not necessarily cleaner, and organic or hydroponic produce is not automatically free of problems either. Varying what you buy and where, eating in season and buying from growers you know all reduce repeated exposure to the same product.
The PRO publishes its results and takes complaints about pesticide misuse. MoBriefs will follow the four regulations and the WHO study, and update this brief when they move.