EFSA Publishes 2026 Chemical Monitoring Reporting Guidance For Data Submissions

EFSA has published updated reporting guidance intended to be used for the 2026 data collection of chemical monitoring results, signalling a continued push towards more consistent, higher-quality submissions across EU food and feed control programmes.

The guidance is positioned as a practical document for reporting samples analysed for chemicals. It focuses on how to use the Standard Sample Description (SSD2) data model for submission of analytical results taken during control activities. EFSA explicitly frames the scope broadly, covering monitoring for pesticide residues, residues of veterinary medicinal products, contaminants, food additives and food flavourings.

What Is Changing For 2026 Submissions

Although the EU’s legal requirements and national sampling plans vary, the value of a shared reporting model is that it standardises how results are described once they are generated. EFSA notes that the 2026 reporting guidance does not replace its general SSD2 guidance or its Guidance on Data Exchange (GDE2). Instead, it complements and updates specific aspects relevant to chemical monitoring (ChemMon) data.

For data providers, that “ChemMon-specific” focus is important. Reporting guidance tends to evolve as new analytical approaches, residue definitions and data quality checks emerge. When that happens, fields that were optional in practice can become essential for validation, and documentation expectations can tighten around how results, units and sample descriptors are encoded.

Implications For Laboratories, Authorities And Supply Chains

In operational terms, the organisations most affected are those responsible for producing and submitting datasets: official laboratories, competent authorities and national data management teams. The guidance emphasises clarity on technical and legislative requirements, as well as data quality validation, which can translate into fewer resubmissions and more comparable datasets across countries.

For food and feed businesses, the knock-on effect is indirect but meaningful. More standardised, validated monitoring data supports EU-level risk analysis and compliance checking, and can influence where enforcement attention is focused, which products are prioritised for sampling, and how emerging issues are detected.