EU: Turkish Pistachios and US Pistachios Shipped via Türkiye Subject to 50% Aflatoxin Checks
On January 28, 2026, the European Commission published an implementing regulation concerning the temporary increase of official controls and emergency measures governing the entry into the Union of certain goods from certain third countries. Among other measures, the regulation increases aflatoxin checks from 30% to 50% on pistachios, mixtures containing pistachios, and products made from pistachios, either originating from Türkiye or originating from the United States and dispatched to the EU from Türkiye. The regulation enters into force on February 18, 2026.
EU: Commission Launches Task Force to Strengthen Import Controls on Food Safety
On January 26, 2026, the European Commission established a task force to maintain and reinforce the EU’s ability to ensure imports meet Union standards. The task force will focus in particular on food and feed safety, pesticide residues, and coordinated EU monitoring actions on specific imported products. It brings together expertise from the Commission and Member States, and will contribute to:
- Further harmonizing of import controls across the EU.
- Developing recommendations for joint actions between the Commission and Member States.
- Identifying where additional administrative or regulatory measures are needed to strengthen controls.
EU: Commission Declines to Extend French Pesticide Ban to Entire Union
In a meeting of the European Commission’s Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed on January 20, 2026, France presented its interim national measure suspending the introduction, import and marketing of various plant-origin food products containing residues of five plant protection products not approved for use in the EU. (As noted previously by the INC, France’s ban affects carbendazim, benomyl and thiophanate-methyl in apricots, plums and grapes.)
The Commission argued that an EU-wide emergency measure is not justified, noting that most maximum residue levels targeted by the French measure are deemed safe by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). It also reviewed the status of EU-level work on the five substances. Sixteen Member States opposed extending France’s action to an EU-wide measure, six (including France) supported doing so, and four did not express a position.
In the absence of a qualified majority, the Commission decided not to take any action at the EU level, but to continue ongoing actions as planned, including presenting a draft regulation lowering all MRLs for carbendazim, benomyl and thiophanate-methyl.
EU: Plant Protection Products Update
The European Commission has published new maximum residue levels (MRLs) for various substances in or on certain products:
| Substance | Product | MRL (mg/kg) |
| Benfluralin(1) | Tree nuts | 0.01 |
| Benfluralin(1) | Fruits, fresh or frozen | 0.01 |
| Benthiavalicarb(1) | Tree nuts | 0.01 |
| Benthiavalicarb(1) | Fruits, fresh or frozen | 0.01 |
| Penflufen(1) | Tree nuts | 0.01 |
| Penflufen(1) | Fruits, fresh or frozen | 0.01 |
| Dimoxystrobin(2) | Peanuts | 0.01 |
| Ethephon(2) | Almonds | 0.02 |
| Ethephon(2) | Brazil nuts | 0.02 |
| Ethephon(2) | Cashews | 0.02 |
| Ethephon(2) | Macadamias | 0.02 |
| Ethephon(2) | Pecans | 0.02 |
| Ethephon(2) | Pine nuts | 0.02 |
| Ethephon(2) | Pistachios | 0.02 |
| Ethephon(2) | Peanuts | 0.02 |
| Ethephon(2) | Apricots | 0.01 |
(1) The new levels apply from August 12, 2026. Products produced in the EU or imported into the EU before August 12, 2026, are not required to comply with the new levels. More information
(2) The new levels apply from August 19, 2026. Products produced in the EU or imported into the EU before August 19, 2026, are not required to comply with the new levels. More information
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published a conclusion in which it recommends raising the MRL for prothioconazole to 0.3 mg/kg in apricots and to 0.1 mg/kg in plums, up from the current MRL of 0.01 mg/kg in both products, on the grounds that the proposed EU uses of this substance are unlikely to pose a risk to consumers’ health.
Japan: Plant Protection Products Update
Japan has notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of the following new maximum residue levels (MRLs):
| Substance | Product | MRL (ppm) |
| Dimpropyridaz(1) | Grapes | 2 |
| Spinetoram(2) | Apricots | 0.7 |
(1) Effective as of September 18, 2025. More information
(2) Effective as of October 7, 2025. More information
USA: Public Meeting and Listening Session on Food Allergen Thresholds
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will host a virtual public meeting on food allergen thresholds and their potential applications in the United States on February 18, 2026, followed by listening sessions on February 19-20. The agency will hold these events in collaboration with various stakeholders, including industry representatives, consumer groups, healthcare professionals, individual firms, retailers, and academic researchers. These collaborative efforts will help inform the FDA’s next steps on food allergen thresholds.
During the events, presentations will provide background on FDA’s major food allergen requirements, current regulatory frameworks, risk assessment methodologies for establishing food allergen thresholds, potential applications of risk-based food allergen thresholds and communication, and global approaches to food allergen management. Additionally, three panels will address risk-based food allergen threshold concepts, risk communication and labeling strategies, and potential applications for implementing food allergen thresholds.
A public comment period will run from February 18 to May 19, 2026.