HCMC – Vietnamese passion fruit and dragon fruit may face more stringent EU regulations due to concerns over pesticide residues, according to a report by French authorities.
The report ‘Results of Monitoring and Control of Pesticide Residues’ published by the French Directorate General for Food (DGAL) in February 2026 (based on 2024 data) shows that 15/47 passion fruit samples from Vietnam violated the maximum residue limits (MRL), equivalent to 32%, a remarkably high rate under EU control standards.
The substance omethoate, which poses potential health risks, was also detected. With a violation rate of 32%, Vietnamese passion fruit could be subject to enhanced official controls or more rigorous import conditions.
For dragon fruit, the violation rate stood at 11% (1/9 samples). The product is currently included under Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2019/1793, with a 50% inspection frequency at border control posts. Persistent violations may make it more difficult for the EU to reduce these controls in the future.
