Acetamiprid and proquinazid found in red peppers intercepted at Croatian border

Inspectors at a Croatian border crossing ordered the destruction of two consignments of fresh red peppers after laboratory tests found hazardous pesticides in produce from Albania and North Macedonia. The shipments were stopped before entering the EU market, officials said.

Measurements and health concerns

Analyses detected the fungicide proquinazid in the Albanian peppers at a concentration of 0.050 mg/kg and the neonicotinoid insecticide acetamiprid in the North Macedonian peppers at 0.23 mg/kg. Both findings triggered an immediate decision to destroy the two lots at the border.

Researchers have shown that very high doses of proquinazid can be toxic to the liver and kidneys in laboratory animals such as rats and guinea pigs. Studies also associate heavy or long-term exposure to acetamiprid with potential neurotoxic and reproductive health effects in humans.

The European Commission, when moving to restrict some neonicotinoids on the EU market, stated that acetamiprid is linked to mass bee die-offs worldwide and described the substance as "It is a notorious chemical." The commission and food safety authorities warn that neonicotinoids can be dangerous to people, particularly young children, and may affect brain development in unborn babies and infants.

Croatian inspectors noted that this is not an isolated incident: acetamiprid was also found in red peppers from Albania in June. Last year a contaminated Albanian shipment escaped border controls and, according to officials at the time, was likely sold on markets in Slovenia, Croatia and Austria (likely September 2025). Recent separate checks found unusually high acetamiprid in Italian table grapes and past cases involved cornelian cherries from Turkey in January 2025 and rice consignments from Cambodia in July 2026.

Authorities said the interceptions underline continued gaps in pesticide control along some supply chains and stressed that border testing is a critical line of defense to prevent contaminated food from reaching consumers. Further investigations and tracing of suppliers are expected to follow the lab confirmations.

Photo: press material from the event