Reporting data on pesticide residues in food and feed according to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 (2015 data collection)

According to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 on maximum residue levels (MRLs) of pesticides in or on food and feed of plant and animal origin, Member States have to monitor pesticide residue levels in food samples and submit the monitoring results to EFSA and the European Commission. The Standard Sample Description (SSD) is the data model used for the reporting of data on analytical measurements of chemical substances occurring in food, feed and water to EFSA. In July 2015, EFSA issued a revised guidance document defining the appropriate SSD codes to describe the samples and the analytical results for the reporting of the 2014 pesticide residues monitoring data. In the current guidance document new coding provisions are provided for some specific SSD data elements for the reporting of the 2015 pesticide monitoring data; those provisions take into account the experience of both the previous reporting season and the new legislation relevant for the 2015 pesticide monitoring data collection. In addition, new explanatory examples on the appropriate coding for specific food samples are provided.