Check out this month’s food safety update with news from Codex Alimentarius and the European Union.
CCPR53: Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues
The Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) held its fifty-third session from July 4 to 8, 2022, with report adoption on July 13.
Highlights:
- The Secretariat of the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) informed that chlorpyrifos and chlorpyrifos-methyl were scheduled together for a periodic evaluation by the 2024 JMPR, in response to concerns raised by the EU. The available toxicology dossier for chlorpyrifos was incomplete.
- The EU explained to CCPR that it is current EU policy to align EU MRLs with Codex MRLs (CXLs) if four conditions are fulfilled: (i) the EU sets MRLs for the commodity under consideration; (ii) the current EU MRL is lower than the CXL; (iii) toxicological data are available at EU level and the proposed CXL is safe for European consumers; (iv) the CXL is acceptable to the EU with respect to areas such as consumer protection, supporting data and extrapolations, as well as environmental issues of global nature (such as the decline of pollinators or the accumulation of persistent bio accumulative and toxic substances in the environment) in conformity with WTO rules and as announced in the Farm to Fork Strategy and the EU Green Deal.
EU: New MRLs for Triadimenol, Didecyldimethylammonium Chloride and Nicotine
The European Union notified the World Trade Organization (WTO) of the draft Commission Regulation amending Annexes II, III, IV and V to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 as regards new maximum residue levels (MRLs) for benzalkonium chloride (BAC), chlorpropham, didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC), flutriafol, metazachlor, nicotine, profenofos, quizalofop-P, sodium aluminium silicate, thiabendazole and triadimenol in or on certain products.
MRLs for these substances in certain commodities are changed. Lower MRLs are set after deleting old uses, which are not authorized any more in the EU or for which a human health concern may not be excluded. Some temporary MRLs are lowered based on monitoring data.
Triadimenol:
| Commodity | New MRLs (mg/kg) |
| Tree nuts | 0.01 |
| Peanuts | 0.01 |
Didecyldimethylammonium chloride:
| Commodity | New MRLs (mg/kg) |
| Tree nuts | 0.05 |
| Peanuts | 0.05 |
Nicotine:
| Commodity | New MRLs (mg/kg) |
| Tree nuts | 0.02 |
| Peanuts | 0.02 |
| Cranberries | 0.01 |
| Currants | 0.01 |
| Dates | 0.01 |
| Figs | 0.01 |
EU: New MRLs for 1,4-Dimethylnaphthalene, 8-Hydroxyquinoline, Pinoxaden and Valifenalate
The European Commission published the Regulation (EU) 2022/1346 amending Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards maximum residue levels for 1,4-dimethylnaphthalene, 8-hydroxyquinoline, pinoxaden and valifenalate in or on certain products.
1,4-dimethylnaphthalene:
| Commodity | New MRLs (mg/kg) |
| Tree nuts | 0.05 |
| Peanuts | 0.05 |
8-Hydroxyquinoline:
| Commodity | New MRLs (mg/kg) |
| Tree nuts | 0.02 |
| Peanuts | 0.02 |
Pinoxaden:
| Commodity | New MRLs (mg/kg) |
| Tree nuts | 0.03 |
| Peanuts | 0.03 |
It shall apply from February 23, 2022.
EU: New MRLs for Acequinocyl, Chlorantraniliprole and Emamectin
The European Commission published the regulation (EU) 2022/1343 amending Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards maximum residue levels for acequinocyl, chlorantraniliprole and emamectin in or on certain products.
Acequinocyl:
| Commodity | New MRLs (mg/kg) |
| Tree nuts | 0.01 |
Chlorantraniliprole:
| Commodity | New MRLs (mg/kg) |
| Tree nuts | 0.03 |
Emamectin:
| Commodity | New MRLs (mg/kg) |
| Tree nuts | 0.005 |
EU: New MRLs for Calcium Phosphide, Cyromazine, Topramezone
On July 21, 2022, the EU notified the WTO of the draft Commission Regulation amending Annexes II, III and V to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 as regards maximum residue levels for calcium phosphide, cyromazine, topramezone and triflumizole in or on certain products.
Cyromazine:
| Commodity | New MRLs (mg/kg) |
| Tree nuts | 0.01 |
| Peanuts | 0.01 |
Calcium phosphide:
| Commodity | New MRLs (mg/kg) |
| Tree nuts | 0.01 |
| Peanuts | 0.01 |
Topramezone:
| Commodity | New MRLs (mg/kg) |
| Tree nuts | 0.005 |
| Peanuts | 0.005 |
EU: New MRLs for Propoxur and Thiram
The European Commission published the Regulation (EU) 2022/1406 of August 3, 2022, amending Annexes II, III and V to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 as regards maximum residue levels for methoxyfenozide, propoxur, spinosad and thiram in or on certain products.
Propoxur:
| Commodity | New MRLs |
| Tree nuts | 0.01 |
| Dates | 0.005 |
| Figs | 0.005 |
| Peanuts | 0.01 |
Thiram:
| Commodity | New MRLs |
| Tree nuts | 0.05 |
| Peanuts | 0.05 |
EU: Hydrocyanic Acid in Certain Foodstuffs
On August 24, 2022, the European Union notified the WTO that the proposal notified in G/SPS/N/EU/546 of March 8, 2022, is now adopted by Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/1364 of 4 August 2022, amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 as regards maximum levels of hydrocyanic acid in certain foodstuffs.
| Commodity | Maximum Level (mg/kg) |
| Unprocessed whole, ground, milled, cracked, chopped almonds placed on the market for the final consumer(*) | 35 |
| Unprocessed whole, ground, milled, cracked, chopped apricot kernels placed on the market for the final consumer | 20 |
(*) The maximum level does not apply to unprocessed whole, ground, milled, cracked, chopped bitter almonds placed on the market for the final consumer in small quantities where the warning ‘Only to be used for cooking and baking. Do not consume raw!’ appears in the principal field of vision of the label (using the font size specified in Article 13(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (OJ L 304 22.11.2011, p. 18)).
EU: MRLs for Ochratoxin A in Certain Foodstuffs
The proposal notified in G/SPS/N/EU/547 of March 9, 2022, is now adopted by Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/1370 of 5 August 2022 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 as regards maximum levels of ochratoxin A in certain foodstuffs.
| Commodity | Maximum level (μg/kg) |
| Dried vine fruit (currants, raisins and sultanas) and dried figs | 8.0 |
| Other dried fruit | 2.0 |
| Pistachios to be subjected to sorting, or other physical treatment, before placing on the market for final consumer or use as ingredient in food | 10.0 |
| Pistachios placed on the market for final consumer or use as ingredient in foodstuffs | 5.0 |
The Regulation shall apply from January 1, 2023.