They are among the most widely consumed fruits in Spain and across Europe, and their healthy image has rarely prompted much suspicion. Yet a report published this week by Pesticide Action Network Europe, produced in collaboration with 13 partner organisations across the continent, presents some uncomfortable figures: 80% of apples tested in Spain contained residues of several toxic pesticides at the same time. The European average stands even higher, at 85%.
The figure is based on 59 samples of locally produced apples collected from supermarkets and markets in September 2025. On average, each apple contained three different pesticides, with some samples showing traces of as many as seven. This is far from an isolated issue: in eight of the thirteen countries surveyed — including Germany, Poland, the Netherlands and Croatia — every single sample contained multiple pesticide residues.
