Bulgarian Agency Finds Argentine Sunflower Shipment with Pesticide Levels Four Times Above Limits

Bulgaria’s Food Safety Agency has detected elevated pesticide levels in a fourth shipment of sunflower seeds imported from Argentina, the agency said, noting that the amount of pesticides was four times above the permissible level.

The authority said that four consignments of sunflower seeds from Argentina—totalling more than 160,000 tonnes—have arrived in the country so far. Samples are taken from each delivery at the port. Laboratory analysis of the first three shipments had already revealed pesticide residues ranging from two to five times above the norm.

Inspection teams are tracking the movement of the imported raw material throughout the entire supply chain—from the port, through storage, to industrial processing and eventual distribution or export. The controls are being carried out in coordination with other institutions, including customs authorities.

The importer of the Argentine sunflower seeds has submitted a written declaration stating that the processed product will be exported to countries outside the European Union, where such pesticide levels are permitted, or will be used for technical purposes or in the production of biodiesel.