EU: Food and Feed Safety Simplification Package
The European Commission has published the proposals for its omnibus food and feed safety simplification package. The package includes, among others, the following proposed changes:
Pesticides:
- Allows maximum residue levels MRLs that were set based on good agricultural practices in third countries or Codex maximum limits to be set at the limit of quantification (technical zero) for substances that are not approved in the Union and that have certain particularly hazardous properties.
- Removes the requirement for the systematic renewal of many active substance approvals based on time (excluding the most hazardous), with renewals and targeted reassessments carried out on substances when there are scientific reasons to do so.
- Establishes a simpler procedure to identify low-risk active substances.
- Establishes simpler procedures for basic plant protection substances (e.g. vinegar, mustard seed powder, baking powder) and accelerates the authorization of products containing substances targeting particularly damaging pests.
- Facilitates the authorization of low-risk pesticides in multiple Member States, to create more equal availability of such products for farmers.
Bio-pesticides:
- Requires Member States to prioritize applications for these products.
- Establishes the possibility to grant provisional authorizations while assessment procedures are ongoing.
Biocidal products:
- Replaces the systematic review of all active ingredients that are already approved with a more efficient system to free up resources.
Border controls:
- Allows consignments of plants and plant products to be partially cleared at the border, so that the compliant part can be put on the market while controls continue on the rest.
For more information, see the draft Directive, the draft Regulation and an explainer published by the Commission.
EU: Guidance on Implementation of Bisphenol A Regulation
The European Commission has published a guidance document on the implementation of the upcoming ban on the use of bisphenol A in food contact materials. The document addresses the scope of the ban, other bisphenols and bisphenol derivatives, compliance and testing, the placing of food contact materials on the Union market, and transitional provisions.
Under Commission Regulation (EU) 2024/3190, the ban on the use of bisphenol A in food contact materials will apply as of July 20, 2026, with transitional measures in place until January 2029.
EU: Public Consultation on Proposed Amendments to Official Controls Rules
The European Commission has published a public consultation on a draft act that would amend the list of products of animal origin subject to official controls at border control posts, including their codes from the Combined Nomenclature. Under the proposed text, nuts and other seeds, other than groundnuts, whether or not mixed together (CH code 200819), would be subject to official controls at border control posts under Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/632 when they contain ingredients of animal origin. The deadline to provide feedback is February 3, 2026.
France: Decree Banning Plant Protection Products Deemed Dangerous to Health
On January 5, 2026, France issued a ministerial order suspending the introduction, import and marketing of plants treated with certain substances deemed to be dangerous to health and banned from use in the European Union.
The decree affects the following substances and foodstuffs, among others:
| Plant protection product | Foodstuff (raw or processed) |
| Carbendazim and benomyl | Apricots |
| Plums | |
| Grapes | |
| Thiophanate-methyl | Apricots |
| Plums | |
| Grapes |
According to a press release issued by the French Ministry of Agriculture, the decree comes after the ministry asked the European Commission to lower the maximum residue limits for several active substances that are banned in the European Union to the level of quantification. According to the ministry, the decree aims to reduce the unequal treatment applied to European producers who are not allowed to use these substances to treat their crops, and to strengthen the protection of public health.
Thailand: Aflatoxins in Peanut Kernels
Thailand’s National Bureau of Agricultural Commodity and Food Standards has added the BRCGS Global Standard Food Safety (Issue 9) to its list of international standards conforming to the Ministerial Regulation on the Establishment of Thai Agricultural Standard on Peanut Kernel: Maximum Level of Aflatoxin as Mandatory Standard B.E. 2558 (2015). For more information, see Thailand’s notification of this change to the World Trade Organization (WTO).
USA: Proposed Pesticide Tolerances
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a proposed rule that would establish, among others, the following tolerances:
| Substance | Commodity | Parts per million |
| Atrazine | Macadamias | 0.2 |
| Diquat | Tree nuts except almonds and pistachios | 0.02 |
| Napropamide | Tree nuts except almonds and pistachios | 0.1 |
| Bifenazate | Tree nuts except almonds and pistachios | 0.2 |
| Bifenazate | Pistachios | 0.2 |
| Fluazifop-P-butyl | Macadamias | 0.1 |
| Fluazifop-P-butyl | Pecans | 0.01 |
| Fluazifop-P-butyl | Pecans | 0.05(1) |
| Fluazifop-P-butyl | Peanuts | 1.5 |
| Clethodim | Peanuts | 5 |
| Clethodim | Tree nuts except almonds and pistachios | 0.2 |
(1) This tolerance expires 180 days after date of publication of the final rule in the Federal Register.
The deadline for comments is February 9, 2026.