EU: Simplification Omnibus on Food Safety
The European Commission has published information about an upcoming simplification omnibus that it plans to adopt in the coming months. This initiative aims to reduce the administrative burden on member state authorities related to marketing authorizations of products. It will:
- accelerate access to the EU market for biocontrol substances and products
- simply and clarify regulatory requirements on plant protection products, biocidal products, feed additives, food hygiene and official controls as well as other measures to simplify EU food law
At the time of writing, no draft of the simplification omnibus had been published. A feedback period is upcoming and Commission adoption is planned for the fourth quarter of 2025.
EU: Fosetyl Not Considered Endocrine Disruptor in Updated EFSA Review
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published the conclusions of the peer review of the initial risk assessments for the pesticide active substance fosetyl. The conclusions were reached on the basis of the evaluation of the representative uses of fosetyl as a fungicide on grapes, citrus, and pome fruits. The conclusions from 2018 were updated with regard to endocrine disruption (ED) properties following a mandate received from the European Commission in October 2019.
With regard to the assessment of the ED properties, based on the available data and assessment, EFSA concluded that fosetyl does not meet the ED criteria for humans and non-target organisms according to points 3.6.5 and 3.8.2 of Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009, as amended by Commission Regulation (EU) 2018/605.
EU: Plant Protection Products Update
The European Commission has published a new MRL of 0.04 mg/kg for acetamiprid in plums, which entered into force on August 20, 2025.
The Commission has also extended the approval periods of the following active substances:
| Substance | Approved Until |
| Ametoctradin | May 31, 2028 |
| Buprofezin | December 15, 2026 |
| Clodinafop | July 31, 2027 |
| Copper compounds | June 30, 2029 |
| Cyflumetofen | October 15, 2027 |
| Daminozide | September 15, 2026 |
| Flupyradifurone | June 9, 2029 |
| Mandestrobin | June 9, 2029 |
| Mandipropamid | June 30, 2029 |
| Pyraclostrobin | September 15, 2026 |
Japan: Plant Protection Products Update
Japan has notified the World Trade Organization of the adoption of the following maximum residue levels (MRLs) in or on nuts and dried fruits:
| Substance | Commodity | MRL (ppm) |
| Spirotetramat1 | Japanese plums (including prunes) | 3 |
| Spirotetramat1 | Cranberries | 0.2 |
| Spirotetramat2 | Grapes | 8 |
| Dazomet, metam and methyl isothiocyanate3 | Peanuts, dry | 0.05 |
1 Effective as of April 23, 2026. More information
2 Effective as of April 23, 2025. More information
3 Effective as of April 23, 2025. More information
Malawi: Draft Standards on Cashew Products and Peanut Butter
Malawi has notified the World Trade Organization of four draft standards.
The standard for raw cashew kernels specifies the requirements, sampling and test methods for raw cashew kernels derived from raw cashew nut of the cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale L.) intended for human consumption. It does not apply to cashew kernels that are processed by salting, sugaring, flavoring, roasting, or oil frying.
The standard for roasted cashew kernels specifies the requirements, sampling and test methods for roasted cashew kernels obtained from nuts of cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale L.) intended for human consumption.
The standard for cashew butter specifies the requirements and methods of sampling and test for cashew butter derived from kernels of the cashew tree (Anacardium occidentale L.) intended for human consumption.
The standard for peanut butter specifies the requirements, sampling and test methods for peanut butter derived from seeds of peanuts groundnuts of the species Arachis hypogaea L. for human consumption.
The deadline for comments on any of these draft standards is September 21, 2025.
More information: raw cashew kernels, roasted cashew kernels, cashew butter, peanut butter
USA: Proposed Extension of Compliance Date for Food Traceability Rule
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has proposed to extend the compliance date for the Food Traceability Rule by 30 months, due to concerns about the amount of time affected entities will need to implement the requirements of the rule.
The Food Traceability Rule establishes additional traceability recordkeeping requirements, beyond what is already required in existing regulations, for persons who manufacture, process, pack, or hold foods found on the Food Traceability List, including nut butters. It applies to domestic and foreign entities producing food for US consumption.
If adopted, this proposal would extend the compliance date by 30 months from January 20, 2026, to July 20, 2028. The compliance date will officially change if the FDA issues a final rule after considering feedback from a recent public comment period.