SGS : EU Amends Maximum Residue Limits for Pesticides in Certain Products

On October 27, 2020, the European Union announced Commission Regulation amending Annexes II, III, IV and V to Regulation (EC) 396/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council with regard to maximum residue levels (MRLs) for pesticides in, or on, food and feed of plant and animal origin.

SAFEGUARDS | FoodNO. 190/20

According to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 [1], Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) are the upper levels of pesticide residues that are legally permissible in, or on, food or animal feed, based on good agricultural practice (GAP) and the lowest exposure necessary to protect vulnerable consumers.

New Commission Regulation (EC) No 2020/1633 amended Regulation (EC) 396/2005 relating to the MRLs for pesticide residues of azinphos-methyl, bentazone, dimethomorph, fludioxonil, flufenoxuron, oxadiazon, pyraclostrobin, repellents: tall oil and teflubenzuron, in or on certain products. Details of the changes are shown in table 1.

Table 1: Amendments to Annexes II, III, IV and V to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 according to the Annex of the new regulation

Pesticides	Products for which the MRLs were updated	Maximum Residue Levels (mg/kg)
Bentazone (CAS# 25057-89-0)	Potatoes, products of animal origin, herbal infusions from leaves and herbs, and leeks	[2]
Dimethomorph (CAS # 110488-70-5)	Blackberries and raspberries
Fludioxonil (CAS # 131341-86-1)	Certain products of animal origin
Pyraclostrobin (CAS # 175013-18-0)	Table grapes
Teflubenzuron (CAS # 83121-18-0)	Products of animal origin
Azinphos-methyl (CAS # 86-50-0)	Certain products except spices
Oxadiazon (CAS # 19666-30-9)	Certain products
Flufenoxuron (CAS # 101463-69-8)	Certain products except tea
Phosalone (CAS # 2310-17-0)	Certain products except spices
Repellants: tall oil (CAS # 61790-12-3)	Certain products

Approval of the active substance azinphos-methyl and oxadiazon has expired, and the active substance flufenoxuron, phosalone, and repellent: tall oil were not approved by the EU Regulation. Therefore, the existing MRLs for azinphos-methyl, flufenoxuron, oxadiazon, and phosalone are deleted from Annex II and III of regulation (EC) No 396/2005, in accordance with Article 17 of that Regulation in conjunction with Article 14(1). There is an exception for the MRLs of flufenoxuron in tea which is safe to consumers and corresponds to an import tolerance request from Japan, and the MRLs of azinphos-methyl and phosalone in spices which correspond to CODEX limits. For MRLs for repellents: tall oil removes the entry in Annex IV to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 and list default values, 0.01 mg/kg for that substance in Annex V of that regulation.

Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 as it stood before being amended by this Regulation shall continue to apply to products which were produced in, or imported into, the Union before May 25, 2021, except for pyraclostrobin in table grapes and repellents: tall oil in all products.

EU Member States, third countries and food business operators must ensure their products comply with the new requirements, modified MRLs for pesticides in or on certain products - except for pyraclostrobin in table grapes and repellents: tall oil in all products. For more information, or to discuss your testing, analysis and certification requirements contact a food safety expert, such as SGS.

SGS is committed to keeping you informed of regulation news and developments. Leveraging our global network of laboratories and food experts, SGS provides a comprehensive range of food safety and quality solutions including analytical tests, audits, certifications, inspections, and technical support. We continually invest in our testing, capability, and state-of-the art technology to help you reduce risk, and to improve food safety and quality. For more information, please visit our website: www.foodsafety.sgs.com.

For enquiries, please contact:

Naovarat Dachprasat
R&D Chemist, Food Technical Support Center
t: [phone] ext. 2168, 2169

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