EU fertiliser tests find 67% of samples mislabelled

An EU testing campaign found labelling problems in 14 of 21 fertiliser samples checked in six countries, the European Commission said.

National authorities in Austria, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Poland and Slovenia tested fertilisers sold on their markets. The Commission said 67 percent of the samples either lacked required label information or did not accurately state the amount of nitrification or urease inhibitors in the product.

The Commission said those inhibitors are intended to keep nitrogen available to crops for longer, reduce leaching and run-off and lower greenhouse gas emissions. It said inaccurate levels or labelling can raise costs for farmers and weaken trust in product information.

National authorities contacted the economic operators responsible for non-compliant products. They asked for corrections to inaccurate labels or for technical documents to explain differences in test results.

The Commission said it is also working on a project to develop about 120 standards for EU fertilising products, with a total budget of EUR 10 million, and is taking steps to update guidance on the visual appearance of EU fertiliser labels.