Suchergebnisse

Under European Union legislation (Article 32, Regulation (EC) No 396/2005), the EFSA provides an annual report which examines pesticide residue levels in foods on the European market. This report is based on data from the official national control activities carried out by EU Member States, Iceland and Norway and includes a subset of data from the EU‐coordinated control programme, which uses a randomised sampling strategy. For 2020, 94.9% of the overall 88,141 samples analysed fell below the maximum residue level (MRL), 5.1% exceeded this level, of which 3.6% were non‐compliant, i.e. samples exceeding the MRL after taking the measurement uncertainty into account. For the subset of 12,077 samples analysed as part of the EU‐coordinated multiannual control programme, 1.7% exceeded the MRL and 0.9% were non‐compliant. To assess acute and chronic risk to consumer health, dietary exposure to pesticide residues was estimated and compared with health‐based guidance values. Dietary exposure to pesticides for which health‐based guidance values were available is unlikely to pose a risk to EU consumer health. In the rare cases where dietary exposure for a specific pesticide/product combination was calculated to exceed the health‐based guidance value, and for those pesticides for which no health‐based guidance value could be established, the competent authorities took appropriate and proportionate corrective measures to address potential risks to consumers. Recommendations are proposed to increase the effectiveness of European control systems, thereby continuing to ensure a high level of consumer protection throughout the EU.

Under European Union legislation (Article 32, Regulation (EC) No 396/2005), the EFSA provides an annual report which examines pesticide residue levels in foods on the European market. This report is based on data from the official national control activities carried out by EU Member States, Iceland and Norway and includes a subset of data from the EU‐coordinated control programme which uses a randomised sampling strategy. For 2019, 96.1% of the overall 96,302 samples analysed fell below the maximum residue level (MRL), 3.9% exceeded this level, of which 2.3% were non‐compliant, i.e. samples exceeding the MRL after taking the measurement uncertainty into account. For the subset of 12,579 samples analysed as part of the EU‐coordinated control programme, 2.0% exceeded the MRL and 1.0% were non‐compliant. To assess acute and chronic risk to consumer health, dietary exposure to pesticide residues was estimated and compared with health‐based guidance values. The findings suggest that the residue levels for the food commodities analysed are unlikely to pose any concern for consumer health. However, a number of recommendations are proposed to increase the effectiveness of European control systems, thereby continuing to ensure a high level of consumer protection throughout the EU.

In accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, the applicant Bayer CropScience submitted two applications to the competent national authorities appointed in the United Kingdom and Greece to modify the existing maximum residue levels (MRLs) for the active substance trifloxystrobin in various crops and in sweet peppers/bell peppers, respectively. Moreover, in the application submitted to the United Kingdom, the applicant also included a request to evaluate the confirmatory data identified in the framework of the MRL review under Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 as not available. In the framework of the assessment process, these applications were re‐allocated to the Netherlands. The data submitted in support of the requests were found to be sufficient to derive MRL proposals for sweet peppers/bell peppers, kales, escaroles, herbs and edible flowers, beans with pods, oat and chicory roots. Since the data gaps identified in the MRL review were not addressed, risk managers might consider lowering the tentative MRLs in passion fruits/maracujas and leafy brassica other than kales to the limit of quantification (LOQ), and the implementation of the Codex MRL (CXL) in the EU legislation for cucumbers and gherkins. The new intended use on witloof/Belgian endives was not adequately supported by residue data and therefore an MRL proposal cannot be derived. Adequate analytical methods for enforcement are available to control the residues of trifloxystrobin on the commodities under consideration. Based on the results of the risk assessment performed, considering the exposure to residues of trifloxystrobin and its metabolites CGA 321113 (apart for passion fruits), EFSA concluded that the short‐term and long‐term intake of residues resulting from the uses of trifloxystrobin under consideration is unlikely to present a risk to consumer health, except for escaroles. For the intended indoor use on escaroles, a risk from short‐term intake cannot be excluded, hence a modification of the existing EU MRL is not ...

In accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, the applicant ADAMA Agriculture BV on behalf of ADAMA Makhteshim Ltd submitted a request to the competent national authority in Denmark to modify the existing maximum residue levels (MRL) for the active substance tau‐fluvalinate in tomatoes and watermelons. The data submitted in support of the request were found to be sufficient to derive an MRL proposal for tomatoes. For watermelons, a change of the MRL recently set in the EU legislation is not required. Adequate analytical methods for enforcement are available to control the residues of tau‐fluvalinate in the commodities under consideration. Based on the risk assessment results, EFSA concluded that the short‐term and long‐term intake of residues resulting from the intended uses of tau‐fluvalinate according to the reported agricultural practices is unlikely to present a risk to consumer health. The risk assessment shall be regarded as indicative.

According to Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, EFSA has reviewed the maximum residue levels (MRLs) currently established at European level for the pesticide active substance propineb. Although this active substance is no longer authorised within the EU, due to insufficient information in order to conclude on the consumer risk assessment for the active substance, the toxicity of the metabolite propane‐1,2‐diamine (PDA) the impact on non‐target organisms and the risk to honeybees, MRLs based on the use of propineb were established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (codex maximum residue limits; CXLs) and are still in place. Additionally, propineb has potential endocrine‐disrupting properties related to the hazards of its major metabolite 4‐methylimidazolidine‐2‐thione (PTU). Lacking a full toxicological characterisation for the compound PDA, exposure data for metabolites propineb‐DIDT in plants and PDA in processed commodities and considering that propineb‐MRLs correlated to CXLs were based on EU uses that were withdrawn following the non‐renewal and are no longer in place, it was not possible for EFSA to perform an assessment of these MRLs and their incorporation in European legislation cannot be recommended. Nevertheless, available data allowed EFSA to propose a marker residue and a limit of quantification (LOQ) for enforcement against potential illegal uses.

In accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, the applicant Syngenta Agro GmbH submitted a request to the competent national authority in Germany to modify the existing maximum residue level (MRL) for the active substance lambda‐cyhalothrin in seed and fruit spices. The data submitted in support of the request were found to be sufficient to derive MRL proposals in seed spices and in fruit spices. Since the general data gap related to toxicity of degradation products formed under sterilisation conditions and identified in the framework of the MRL review has not yet been addressed, a risk management decision is required whether it is appropriate to take over the proposed MRLs in the MRL legislation. Adequate analytical enforcement methods are available to control the residues of lambda‐cyhalothrin in the commodities under consideration. Based on the risk assessment results, EFSA concluded that the short‐term and long‐term intake of residues resulting from the use of lambda‐cyhalothrin on spices according to the reported agricultural practice is unlikely to present a risk to consumer health. However, the consumer exposure calculation shall be considered provisional, pending the toxicological assessment of the compounds formed under sterilisation conditions.

According to Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, EFSA has reviewed the maximum residue levels (MRLs) currently established at European level for the pesticide active substances Beta‐cyfluthrin and Cyfluthrin. Although these active substances are no longer authorised for use on edible crops within the European Union, MRLs were established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (codex maximum residue limits (CXLs)) and import tolerances were reported by Member States (including the supporting residues data). Based on the assessment of the available data, EFSA assessed the CXLs and import tolerances requested, and a consumer risk assessment was carried out. All CXLs were found to be sufficiently supported by data, whereas some import tolerances were not supported by adequate data. Hence, the consumer risk assessment is considered indicative only and further consideration by risk managers is needed. Apart from a possible acute risk to consumers for a CXL higher than the existing MRL, no risk to consumers was identified

According to Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, EFSA has reviewed the maximum residue levels (MRLs) currently established at European level for the pesticide active substance thiram. Although this active substance is no longer authorised within the European Union, MRLs based on the use of thiram were established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (codex maximum residue limits; CXLs) and import tolerances were reported by Member States (including the supporting residues data). Based on the assessment of the available data, EFSA assessed the existing import tolerances, and a consumer risk assessment was carried out for thiram only. Although no apparent risk to consumers was identified, the import tolerances were not fully supported by data. Hence, the consumer risk assessment is considered indicative only and further consideration by risk managers is needed.