Imported human foods were far more likely than domestic foods to carry pesticide residues that violate U.S. limits, according to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) newly released Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program Report for Fiscal Year 2024.
FDA released the report on September 30, 2026. It covers samples collected from October 1, 2023, through September 30, 2024, and tested foods for 781 pesticides and selected industrial compounds.
The Numbers Importers Should Know
For human foods, FDA tested 3,528 samples: 893 domestic samples from 46 states and 2,635 import samples from 76 countries and economies.
- Imported samples: 84.4% compliant, meaning roughly 15.6% contained violative residues
- Domestic samples: 98.2% compliant, a violation rate of about 1.8%
- No residues detected: 36.5% of import samples and 36.8% of domestic samples
For animal foods, FDA tested 306 samples. Compliance was 91.5% for imports and 93.5% for domestic products.
A sample is violative when a residue exceeds the tolerance set by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), or when a pesticide is detected on a food for which EPA has not set any tolerance at all. That second category often catches imports, because a pesticide legal in the exporting country may have no U.S. tolerance for that commodity.
Why Imports Get More Scrutiny
FDA notes that imported foods have historically had higher violation rates than domestic foods, and the FY 2024 results continue that pattern.
The agency uses a risk-based approach that deliberately prioritizes imported products and countries more likely to have violative residues. FDA draws on past problem areas, federal and state monitoring results, and foreign pesticide usage data. In practice, this means importers of higher-risk commodities from higher-risk origins should expect more sampling, not less.
What Happens When FDA Finds a Violation
When FDA finds residues above a tolerance, or residues with no established tolerance, it will take action as appropriate. For imports, consequences can include refusal of the shipment and, for repeat problems, placement of the firm or product on a pesticide import alert such as Import Alert 99-08. Products on an import alert can be detained without physical examination until the importer shows they comply.
A single violation can therefore affect future shipments, not only the one sampled.
New Tool: The Pesticide Report Data Dashboard
FDA’s Pesticide Report Data Dashboard, launched in 2025, lets users explore the FY 2024 data interactively, including the tables and figures underlying the report. Importers can use it to see how commodities and countries they source from performed. FDA plans to expand the dashboard next fiscal year to show multiple years of data.
What Importers Should Do Now
- Review the FY 2024 data for the commodities and countries you source from.
- Confirm that your Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP) hazard analysis addresses pesticide residues as a chemical hazard.
- Ask suppliers which pesticides they use and confirm each has a U.S. tolerance for that commodity.
- Consider pre-shipment residue testing for higher-risk products or origins.
- Check FDA’s import alert list to make sure your suppliers and products are not already subject to detention without physical examination.
- Keep supplier testing records and certificates of analysis organized and ready if FDA samples a shipment.
ASK Alba™: Contact the Alba team for help reviewing FDA pesticide risk for your products, responding to an FDA sample or detention, or strengthening your FSVP documentation.
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References
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA Releases FY 2024 Pesticide Residue Monitoring Report. HFP Constituent Update, September 30, 2026.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program Reports and Data.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program Questions and Answers.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Pesticide Report Data Dashboard.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Import Alerts.
