Food Safety Update: August 2023

EFSA Proposes New MRLs for Flupyradifurone and DFA

On July 12, 2023, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a reasoned opinion on the modification of the existing maximum residue levels and setting of import tolerances for flupyradifurone and its metabolite difluoroacetic acid (DFA) in various plant commodities, including grapefruits, macadamias, apricots, plums, cranberries and currants.

EFSA assessed the application by Bayer CropScience SA-NV and the evaluation report by the competent national authority in the Netherlands, and concluded that the proposed and authorized uses of flupyradifurone on various crops and subsequent residues of flupyradifurone and DFA in plant and animal commodities will not result in a consumer exposure exceeding the toxicological reference values, and therefore is unlikely to pose a risk to consumers’ health.

EFSA proposes to amend the MRLs as follows:

Flupyradifurone

Code	Commodity	Existing EU MRL (mg/kg)	Proposed EU MRL (mg/kg)	Comment/justification
0110010	Grapefruits	3	No new proposal	The intended SEU use not sufficiently supported by data. The lowering of the existing EU MRL is not proposed.
0120070	Macadamias	0.02	No new proposal	The submitted data are sufficient to derive an MRL proposal of 0.01* mg/kg in support of the authorized use in Australia. The lowering of the existing EU MRL is not proposed. Risk for consumer unlikely.
0140010	Apricots	0.01*	1	The submitted data are sufficient to support the import tolerance request from the authorised US GAP. Risk for consumers unlikely.
0140040	Plums	0.01*	0.4	The submitted data are sufficient to support the intended NEU, SEU uses and import tolerance request. The MRL proposal is based on the critical use (USA). Risk for consumers unlikely.
0154020	Cranberries	0.01*	0.7	The submitted residue data are sufficient to support the intended EU indoor use. Risk for consumers unlikely.
0154030	Currants	0.01*	0.7	The submitted residue data are sufficient to support the intended EU indoor use. Risk for consumers unlikely.

 

Difluoroacetic acid (DFA)

Code	Commodity	Existing EU MRL (mg/kg)	Proposed EU MRL (mg/kg)	Comment/justification
0110010	Grapefruits	0.05	No new proposal	The submitted residue data are not sufficient to derive a new MRL proposal.
0120070	Macadamias	0.04	0.3	The submitted residue data are sufficient to support the authorised use of flupyradifurone in Australia. Risk for consumers unlikely.
0140010	Apricots	0.02*	0.3	The submitted data are sufficient to support the use of flupyradifurone in the USA. Risk for consumers unlikely.
0140040	Plums	0.02*	0.3	The submitted data are sufficient to support the intended NEU, SEU uses and the use of flupyradifurone in the USA. The MRL proposal based on the critical use (USA). Risk for consumers unlikely.
0154020	Cranberries	0.02*	No new proposal	The submitted residue data are sufficient to support the intended EU indoor use of flupyradifurone and to derive an MRL proposal of 0.01* mg/kg. The lowering of existing EU MRLs is not proposed.
0154030	Currants	0.02*	No new proposal	The submitted residue data are sufficient to support the intended EU indoor use of flupyradifurone and to derive an MRL proposal of 0.01* mg/kg. The lowering of existing EU MRLs is not proposed.

*Indicates that the MRL is set at the limit of analytical quantification (LOQ).

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Taiwan: Draft Standards for Pesticide MRLs in Foods

On July 24, 2023, the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu notified the World Trade Organization of some amendments to certain pesticide MRLs in the Draft Standards for Pesticide Residue Limits in Foods —fruits and tree nuts included.

Pesticide name	Crop	MRL (ppm)	Remark
Cyclaniliprole	Almond	0.03	Insecticide
	Walnut	0.01
Flonicamid	Hazelnuts	0.07
Kasugamycin	Walnuts	0.04	Fungicide

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UK: Consultation on Changes in Official Controls

On July 17, 2023, the United Kingdom’s Food Standards Agency launched a consultation on proposed amendments to the lists within Retained (EU) Regulation 2019/1793, which applies a temporary increase of official controls and special conditions governing the entry into Great Britain of certain food and feed of non-animal origin from certain countries. Interested UK business operators should respond by August 28, 2023.

Changes that concern nuts and dried fruits:

Annex I

Country of origin	Food and feed (intended use)	Hazard	Frequency of physical and identity checks	Risk Management Recommendation
Bolivia	Peanut paste (food and feed)	Aflatoxins	50%	New product under existing listing. To be added as a row under ‘Oilcake and other solid residues.
Brazil	In shell peanuts (food and feed)	Aflatoxins	–	Delist
	Shelled peanuts (food and feed)
	Peanut butter (food and feed)
	Peanuts, otherwise prepared or preserved (food and feed)
	Peanut flours and meals (food and feed)
	Peanut paste	Pesticide residues	20%	New product under existing listing. To be added as a row under ‘Groundnut flours and meals’.
China	Peanut paste (food and feed)	Aflatoxins	10%	New product under existing listing. To be added as a row under ‘Groundnut flours and meals’.
Senegal	Peanut paste (food and feed)	Aflatoxins	50%	New product under existing listing. To be added as a row under ‘Oilcake and other solid residues…’.
Türkiye	In shell hazelnuts (food)	Aflatoxins	–	Delist
	Shelled Hazelnuts (food)
	Mixtures of nuts or dried fruits containing hazelnuts (food)
	Hazelnut paste (food)
	Hazelnuts, otherwise prepared or preserved, including mixtures (food)
	Flour, meal and powder of hazelnuts (food)
	Hazelnut oil (food)
United States	Peanut paste (food and feed)	Aflatoxins	10%	New product under existing listing. To be added as a row under ‘Oilcake and other solid residues…’.

 

Annex II

Country of origin	Food and feed (intended use)	Hazard	Frequency of physical and identity checks	Risk Management Recommendation
Egypt	Peanut paste (food and feed)	Aflatoxins	20%	New product under existing listing. To be added as a row under ‘Oilcake and other solid residues…’.
Gambia	Peanut paste (food and feed)	Aflatoxins	50%	New product under existing listing. To be added as a row under ‘Oilcake and other solid residues…’.
Ghana	Peanut paste (food and feed)	Aflatoxins	50%	New product under existing listing. To be added as a row under ‘Oilcake and other solid residues…’.
India	Peanut paste (food and feed)	Aflatoxins	50%	New product under existing listing. To be added as a row under ‘Oilcake and other solid residues…’.
Sudan	Peanut paste (food and feed)	Aflatoxins	50%	New product under existing listing. To be added as a row under ‘Oilcake and other solid residues…’.

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