Japan: MRLs Update

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan has notified the World Trade Organization of the “Revision of the Standards and Specifications for Foods and Food Additives under the Food Sanitation Act (revision of agricultural chemical residue standards)”.As for nuts and dried fruits, the changes proposed to the maximum residue levels (MRL) are the following:

• The MRL for hexaconazole in peanut is lowered from 0.02 ppm to 0.01 ppm, in apricot from 0.5 ppm to 0.2 ppm, in plum from 0.5 ppm to 0.3 ppm, in cranberry and date from 0.5 ppm to 0.01 ppm, in grape and almond from 0.1 ppm to 0.01 ppm, and in pecan, walnut and other nuts from 0.05 ppm to 0.01 ppm.
• The MRL for simeconazole in plum is lowered from 0.3 ppm to 0.2 ppm. However, the MRL in apricot is maintained at 1 ppm and at grape at 0.2 ppm.
• The MRL for spirotetramat in apricot is maintained at 3 ppm, in plum at 5 ppm, in grape at 2 ppm, and in pecan, almond, walnut and other nuts at 0.05 ppm. However, the MRL in plum, dried is lowered from 5 ppm to 0.01 ppm and in raisin from 4 ppm to 0.01 ppm.
• The MRL for thifensulfuron methyl in peanut is lowered from 0.1 ppm to 0.01 ppm.
• The MRL for bromacil in apricot, plum, cranberry, grape, date, pecan, almond, walnut and other nuts is lowered from 0.05 ppm to 0.01 ppm.
• The MRL for prometryn in peanuts is lowered from 0.05 ppm to 0.02 ppm.
• The MRL for cymoxanil in grape is lowered from 1 ppm to 0.1 ppm.
• The MRL for hexythiazox in peanuts is lowered from 0.2 ppm to 0.01 ppm, apricot from 1 ppm to 0.3 ppm and in pecan, almond, walnuts and other nuts from 0.3 ppm to 0.05 ppm. However, the MRL in plums is maintained at 1 ppm an in grape at 2 ppm and the MRL in date is increased from 0.01 ppm to 2 ppm.
• The MRL for isouron in peanuts, apricot, plum, grape, date, pecan, almond, walnuts and other nuts is lowered from 0.02 ppm to 0.01 ppm.
• The MRL for profenofos in peanuts, apricot, plum, grape, date, pecan, almond, walnuts and other nuts is lowered from 0.05 ppm to 0.01 ppm.
• The MRL for etoxazole in apricot is maintained at 0.1 ppm, in plum and grape at 0.5 ppm and in pecan, almond, walnuts and other nuts at 0.01 ppm.
• The MRL for prohydrojasmon in grape is lowered from 0.05 ppm to 0.01 ppm.

The deadline for comments is February 17, 2017.For further information, please contact us at inc@nutfruit.org.