North Macedonia Clears Returned Pepper and Grape Shipments After New Pesticide Tests

Returned produce passes domestic checks

North Macedonia has allowed several shipments of peppers and table grapes rejected by neighboring markets to be sold domestically or sent for processing after additional pesticide testing produced negative results. The shipments had been returned by Bulgaria and Montenegro because their authorities reportedly detected pesticide residues above the limits permitted in those countries.

Sloboden Pečat, citing broadcaster Telma, reported that four export consignments were returned to North Macedonia during the past three months. Three contained peppers and one contained table grapes. The Food and Veterinary Agency, known locally as AHV, conducted further checks after the goods returned and said the subsequent tests did not show pesticide residues.

Laboratory results differed from border findings

Two pepper consignments returned from Bulgaria were examined in accredited laboratories. Samples connected with one of the consignments were also tested by the State Phytosanitary Laboratory and a laboratory in Strumica. According to the agency, the results were negative, allowing the peppers to enter domestic circulation or undergo further processing.

The same decision was taken for 14 tonnes of black table grapes returned by Montenegro. Additional analysis cleared the grapes for sale or processing in North Macedonia. The available report does not identify the pesticides cited by the foreign authorities, disclose the residue concentrations they measured or explain whether the laboratories used identical sampling and analytical methods.

AHV told Telma that chemical levels in many agricultural products decline after the prescribed interval between pesticide application, harvest and transport. The agency said the returned consignments were safe by the time they came back to North Macedonia and that laboratory analysis confirmed this assessment. That explanation points to testing at different times as one possible reason for the conflicting results, although the published information does not establish the cause conclusively.

Croatia takes a stricter outcome on another shipment

A separate shipment of red peppers of the Kurtovska Kapija variety, returned by Croatia, was destroyed by AHV rather than released. Sloboden Pečat also reported that the agency received four Croatian notifications through the European rapid alert system for food concerning approximately 50 tonnes of North Macedonian fruit and vegetables. Croatia destroyed part of those goods and rejected the remainder at the border, preventing them from entering its market.

The different outcomes highlight a practical issue for growers, exporters and processors: a shipment can fail a destination-market check but later pass testing at home. Without published residue values, sampling dates and methods, commercial operators cannot determine whether the gap reflects chemical degradation over time, variation within a consignment or differences between laboratories. Exporters therefore face not only rejection and transport costs but also uncertainty over whether returned produce can be redirected to processing or domestic retail.

Traceability will determine market confidence

For North Macedonia’s food-safety authorities, the central task is to demonstrate why produce judged non-compliant abroad was considered safe at home. Clear records covering the pesticide involved, the applicable maximum residue limit, sampling procedures, test dates and final destination of each consignment would allow buyers and producers to compare the assessments. The domestic release of the peppers and 14 tonnes of grapes was based on negative local tests, while the destruction of the Croatian pepper shipment shows that returned goods were not handled under a single automatic rule.