Sunflower Import to Bulgaria Faces Scrutiny Over Pesticide Levels

Bulgaria is facing concerns over a shipment of sunflower imported from Argentina after tests revealed elevated levels of pesticides. While the initial inspection found no heavy metals, the presence of malathion and deltamethrin above permissible limits has raised questions about the crop’s suitability for use as animal feed or human consumption within the European Union.

Pesticide Residue Exceeds EU Standards

According to acting Minister Ivan Hristanov, the sunflower from the first arriving ship contained malathion levels three times higher than the norm and deltamethrin levels five times higher than the norm. These findings disqualify the shipment for use in food or feed production within Bulgaria and the EU (Hristanov, 2026).

Export Guarantee and Further Inspections

Hristanov stated that the sunflower will be re-exported outside of the EU, and processors have confirmed this plan. Bulgarian authorities, along with the Bulgarian Agency for Food Safety (BAFH), will oversee constant checks to ensure compliance. He emphasized a commitment to preventing the use of prohibited or dangerous substances within Bulgaria (Hristanov, 2026).

Additional Shipments Expected

Bulgaria anticipates the arrival of ten more ships carrying a total of 450,000 tons of sunflower in the coming weeks. The same rigorous inspection process will be applied to these subsequent shipments to maintain public trust (Hristanov, 2026).

Broader Agricultural Oversight

Minister Hristanov’s recent activities demonstrate a broader focus on agricultural oversight, including investigations into a case involving mussels in Burgas and addressing concerns about illegal land use and construction in protected forest areas. He has vowed to prevent “atrocities” within Bulgaria’s agricultural sector (Hristanov, 2026).

Sunflower Production and Herbicide Tolerance in Argentina

Argentina is a significant producer of sunflower, and research into herbicide tolerance has been crucial for the crop’s competitiveness (Helia Journal, n.d.). Sunflower lines like ‘Imisun’ have been developed with tolerance to certain herbicides, involving both target-site and non-target-site tolerance mechanisms (International Sunflower Association, n.d.). Research has shown that tolerance in some lines can be reversed by P450 inhibitors like malathion (Leon, 2008).

References

• Hristanov, I. (2026, February 28). Facebook post. https://www.facebook.com/ivan.hristanov.7503
• Helia Journal. (n.d.). Herbicide tolerance in sunflower and the contribution of Argentinian research. https://heliajournal.org/files/87/manuscript/manuscript_5484/helia-5484-manuscript-075458.pdf
• International Sunflower Association. (n.d.). Imisun tolerance is the result of the interaction between target and non-target tolerance mechanisms. https://www.isasunflower.org/fileadmin/documents/aaProceedings/18thISAArgentina-vol1/Herbicide_Resistance/Imisun_tolerance_is_the_result_of_the_interaction_between_target_and_non-target_tolerance_mechanisms.pdf
• Leon, A. (2008). Selection of a Sunflower Line with Multiple Herbicide Tolerance That Is Reversed by the P450 Inhibitor Malathion. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alberto-Leon-2/publication/232688798_Selection_of_a_Sunflower_Line_with_Multiple_Herbicide_Tolerance_That_Is_Reversed_by_the_P450_Inhibitor_Malathion/links/5c4c8cf892851c22a39278ff/Selection-of-a-Sunflower-Line-with-Multiple-Herbicide-Tolerance-That-Is-Reversed-by-the-P450-Inhibitor_Malathion.pdf