The European Commission requested EFSA to prepare a technical report on 21 active substances not authorised for use but detected more frequently in organic food/feed products according to notifications in the EU Organic Farming Information System (OFIS) between 2021 and 2022: fosetyl-Al, glyphosate, cypermethrin, imidacloprid, boscalid, tebuconazole, folpet, pirimiphos-methyl, azoxystrobin, fluopyram, lambda-cyhalothrin, acetamiprid, chlormequat, pendimethalin, spirotetramat, cyprodinil, chloridazon, pyriproxyfen, fludioxonil, difenoconazole and deltamethrin. The report focuses on organic food/feed of plant origin and apiculture products. It assesses the possible reasons behind the findings based on a broad spectrum of data sources: EFSA scientific Outputs, Member State reports, the EU OFIS, pesticides, biocides, veterinary medicines and chemical occurrence databases, food/feed and environmental monitoring data from the Information Platform for Chemical Monitoring, data from the EU Sustainable Plant Protection Transition project, industrial emissions portal and the literature. The report integrates inputs from a Technical Support Group composed of experts from the Joint Research Centre, European Chemicals Agency, European Environmental Agency and EFSA. None of the active substances occurs naturally. For each substance, several possible sources of residues were identified. When residues are quantified in organic products, investigation to confirm/exclude active unauthorised use of the substance is recommended. When phosphonic acid (metabolite of fosetyl and phosphonates), boscalid, fluopyram and difenoconazole are quantified in organic products, analysis of the soil where the plants were grown is recommended. When glyphosate, boscalid, azoxystrobin, fluopyram and spirotetramat are quantified in organic products, analysis of the water used to irrigate the plants is recommended. To confirm/exclude possible drift from conventional crops in the vicinity of organic crops, investigation of pesticide use around the area of the organic production site is recommended. Long/medium-range aerial transport of residues, transfer via water pathways or cross-contamination are other potential sources of residues in plants. Transfer of residues from industrial activity is unlikely.
