In an inspection report for the 2024 crop published by France's Directorate General for Food (DGAL) in February 2026, the pesticide-residue violation rate for Vietnamese passion fruit was found to have reached 32%. Of 47 samples tested, 15 exceeded the EU's maximum residue levels (MRLs), and one of them tested positive for omethoate, deemed harmful to consumer health. The EU plans to review high-risk items in the latter half of 2026, raising the likelihood that Vietnamese passion fruit and dragon fruit will be added to the list for tighter regulation.
France's DGAL inspection results — what was the problem
According to the DGAL's 'Results of Pesticide Residue Monitoring and Control' report (2024 harvest, published February 2026), Vietnamese passion fruit exceeded MRLs in 15 of 47 samples. The 32% violation rate far surpasses the level that EU authorities classify as 'high risk.'
Of the harmful substances detected, the one of particular concern was omethoate. It is a metabolite of an organophosphate insecticide, classified in the EU as a substance to which a default MRL (0.01 mg/kg, effectively a zero standard) applies, out of concern over carcinogenicity and endocrine disruption.
For dragon fruit as well, 1 of 9 samples was in violation, a violation rate of 11%. It is already registered in Annex I (subject to enhanced inspection) of EU Regulation 2019/1793, with the inspection rate at the EU border set at up to 50%. However, Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment explains that 'the actual inspection rate is 30%, and the figure of 50% is a rumor.'
How EU regulation works and the scenarios ahead
The EU's high-risk-item list is reviewed once every six months. If passion fruit's 32% violation rate is reflected in the next review, the following phased regulation is anticipated.
| Stage | Regulatory content | Impact on exporters |
|---|---|---|
| Annex I registration | Increased inspection frequency at the EU border (20–50%) | Customs delays, higher storage costs |
| Annex II registration | Mandatory attachment of inspection and food-safety certificates before export | Higher pre-shipment inspection cost and time, small-volume trade becomes difficult |
| Import refusal | If violations continue, an import suspension by item | Complete loss of market access |
From late January 2026, the EU changed its method of evaluating pesticide residues from 'risk-based' to 'hazard-based.' For carcinogens and endocrine disruptors, a default MRL of 0.01 mg/kg, close to zero, applies. This change in standards is an even stiffer hurdle for Vietnamese fruit and vegetables that had been clearing conventional inspections.
Vietnamese fruit and vegetable exports to the EU in data
| Indicator | Figure | Source / notes |
|---|---|---|
| Passion fruit cultivation area | about 9,500 ha | Concentrated in the Central Highlands, producing about 190,000 tonnes a year |
| Passion fruit export value (2024) | US$44.3 million | 80% of production is for processing and export |
| Passion fruit MRL violation rate | 32% (15/47 samples) | Published by DGAL, February 2026 |
| Dragon fruit MRL violation rate | 11% (1/9 samples) | Already registered in Annex I |
| Fruit and vegetable export value (full-year 2025) | about US$8.5 billion | Record high; the 2026 target is US$10 billion |
| Fruit and vegetable exports to Japan (2025) | US$237.8 million | Up 17.97% year on year |
| Number of food-safety alerts from the EU | 2024: 64 → 2025: 17 | An improving trend overall |
Local reactions — exporters, government, production areas
Vietnam Trade Office in France
While explaining that 'this is a technical requirement for the EU as a whole, not something that singles out Vietnam,' it called on 'exporters, cooperatives and producers to review the entire process of cultivation, harvest, processing and packing, and to strengthen compliance with pesticide management.'
Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE)
Under new Minister Trinh Viet Hung, who took office in April 2026, the MAE has set out 'accelerating the high-value-added shift and structural reform of the agricultural sector.' The response to the pesticide-residue issue will be a touchstone for this policy. Note that the number of food-safety alerts from the EU fell sharply from 64 in 2024 to 17 in 2025, with improvement advancing overall.
Central Highlands production areas
Passion fruit is cultivated mainly in the Central Highlands, including Gia Lai, Lam Dong and Dak Lak provinces. There are many small-scale farmers, with variability in their awareness of and compliance with pesticide-use standards. The gap in quality control between GlobalGAP-certified cooperatives and uncertified individual farmers is the fundamental issue.
Impact on Japan's agricultural stakeholders and food buyers
Vietnam's fruit and vegetable exports to Japan reached US$237.8 million in 2025, a growth market with an average annual growth rate exceeding 60%. Demand for passion fruit is also rising in Japan as a juice raw material and sweets ingredient, and this EU issue could ripple to the Japanese market too.
If the EU tightens regulation, Vietnamese exporters may reduce EU-bound shipments and shift to other markets such as Japan, China and the United States. In that case, supply volume to Japan increases, but the risk of inflow from production areas with inadequate pesticide management also rises. The review of food-safety standards under Decree 46 and its developments, together with these, make it necessary to strengthen voluntary inspection systems at the time of import.
In addition, Dragon fruit export trends also require attention. Dragon fruit is already subject to the EU's Annex I, and if passion fruit is added, it could affect international-market trust in Vietnamese tropical fruit as a whole.
Industry ripple effects — Vietnamese agriculture's 'quality trust' is put to the test
Vietnam has set its 2026 export target for agricultural, forestry and fishery products at US$73–74 billion, aiming to break the US$10 billion mark in fruit and vegetables alone. However, if the pesticide-residue issue in the EU market is not resolved, it casts a shadow over this growth scenario.
The EU's tighter regulation tends to ripple to other developed-country markets as well. To sustain success stories such as the positive-list system set by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare and the rapid expansion of strawberry exports, lifting pesticide management at the production-area level is indispensable.
The Vietnamese government is preparing a new decree to promote private agricultural investment, considering investment incentives for aquaculture, large-scale livestock and processing facilities (with the state supporting up to 30% of project costs). Whether this framework also applies to developing quality infrastructure for fruit and vegetables will be a focus going forward.
Practical information
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Target items | Passion fruit (violation rate 32%), dragon fruit (violation rate 11%) |
| Problem substance detected | Omethoate (an organophosphate-insecticide metabolite, with endocrine-disruption concerns) |
| Change in the EU's MRL standards | From late January 2026, shift to hazard-based evaluation; high-risk substances at 0.01 mg/kg |
| Next EU review | Latter half of 2026 (regular review every six months) |
| Responsible body on the Vietnamese side | Plant Protection Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Environment (MAE) |
| Current state of GlobalGAP certification | Acquisition is advancing on a cooperative basis, but most individual farmers remain uncertified |
| Relevant Japanese regulation | The positive-list system under the Food Sanitation Act (uniform standard of 0.01 ppm) |
Summary
The 32% EU pesticide-residue violation rate for Vietnamese passion fruit is a warning that cannot be overlooked for the country's fruit and vegetable exports. If registration in Annex I or II is decided at the EU review in the latter half of 2026, tighter inspection and mandatory certificates will push up export costs, and small exporters could lose market access.
For Japanese food buyers, confirming production areas' GAP certification status and pesticide-use history becomes more important than ever when sourcing Vietnamese tropical fruit. Whether Vietnam, aiming for US$10 billion in fruit and vegetable exports, can reconcile 'volume expansion' and 'quality trust' — the EU review in the latter half of 2026 will be the watershed.
