Klorpyrifos has long been banned from use in Sweden and several other Northern European countries. Last summer, the European Food Authority made EFSA a new risk assessment of chlorpyrifos. It is no longer possible to establish any safe limit values ​​of chlorpyrifos for humans.

- We think it is good if chlorpyrifos can no longer be used in the EU, for workers, the environment and consumers, as the new assessment indicates that it does not meet the criteria in the legislation, says Anneli Widenfalk, toxicologist at the National Food Agency.

Prohibition affects other countries

If the substance is banned in the EU, it will also affect countries outside the EU that export fruits and vegetables here. By extension, it will mean that no cultivated product throughout the EU may have traces of chlorpyrifos.

- We think it is good if chlorpyrifos can no longer be used in the EU, says Anneli Widenfalk, toxicologist at the National Food Agency. Photo: Andreas Hult / SVT

Even today, the substance is prohibited for use in organic farming.

"A political issue"

An international research group has recently examined chlorpyrifos. One of the researchers is Axel Mie at the Karolinska Institute.

- I don't think this is a matter for consumers, it's a political issue. We need to make sure that the substance stops being used so that we are not exposed to it anymore. It is not up to individual consumers to choose from the fruits available to avoid this type of substance with these effects, says Axel Mie at the Karolinska Institute.