PESTICIDE RESIDUES

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PESTICIDE RESIDUES

• PPECB basic course
• 4 October 2005

2
Day Program

• Presentation on Pesticide Residues
• Content of SOP
• Presentation on pesticide use
• Exercise
• Lunch
• Excursion to Laboratory

3
Presentation content

• Pesticide residues limits
• Legislation in EU and RSA
• Residues on Exports How big is the problem
• SOP for sampling and control
• SA PIP
• Questions and Discussion

4
Expectations

• What do you want to know?

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Pesticide residues

• Problem
• Consumers are told that eating more fresh produce
  is essential for good health
• but they are also told that fresh produce
  contains excessive pesticide residues.
• NO WONDER CONSUMERS ARE CONFUSED !

6
MRL definition

• Maximum level legally permitted in or on food
• mg/kg ppm
• Set per crop x CPP combination
• Trading standard
• Represents maximum amount of residue expected in
  a fruit under a defined GAP
• Safe for human consumption

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Definitions

• MRL
• Import tolerance (IT)
• LoD (Limit of Detection)
• LoQ (Limit of Quantification)
• CPP (Crop Protection Product)

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What is an MRL?

• Maximum level legally permitted in or on food
• Set per crop x CPP combination
• Represents maximum amount of residue expected in
  a fruit under a defined GAP
• Trading standard

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Setting of MRLs

• MRL  frequently mis-interpreted as safety limit
  instead of trading standard

10
Europe
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MRLs in EU
In the past

• Member States set own national MRL in absence of
  EU MRL
• National MRLs may differ from country to country
  (and from EU MRL)

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National MRLs in EU
In absence of EU MRL, National MRL applies

1mg/kg
0.2mg/kg
1mg/kg
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Example for National MRL
Fenthion (Lebaycid)

2 mg/kg
0.5 mg/kg
1mg/kg
2 mg/kg
0.5 mg/kg
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Europe

• MRL HARMONISATION based on
• member states and
• review of safety of each MRL

By Elmé Coetzer, EUREP GAP
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Harmonised EU MRL
Applies to all Member States and takes precedent
over National MRLs

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Example for harmonised MRL in EU
Prochloraz (Omega)
MRL5 mg/kg
2 mg/kg
10 mg/kg
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MRL future in EU
FUTURE

• One Regulation where all MRLs will be
  established, monitored and controlled at EU level
• Rapid alert system in place

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Dossier
By Marius Boshoff, Syngenta
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Current status in EU
NOW till 2008

• Some harmonised EU MRLs
• Establishing temporary MRLs
• Default approach (LoD 0.01 mg/kg)

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South African Export Legislation

• Act 36 of 1947
• Crops or products exported meet the default
  export MRL or IT in the country of destination
• Records are kept of applications (pre- and
  post-harvest)
• Monitoring samples are drawn and tested
• Exporters and producers have the responsibility
  to
• comply with Act 36
• keep records of applications, provide on request
• verify MRLs with importer or agent in relevant
  country
• keep up with registrations and changes in SA and
  importing countries
• inform Directorate Plant Health and Quality of
  rejections due to residues

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Residues on SA Exports

• 46 no residues
• 52 residues MRL
• 2.29 residues gt MRL

• In 2002 - 2004

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SA PIP

• South African Pesticide Initiative Program
• EU co-funded
• Maintain access to EU market
• For the benefit of SA producers

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SA PIP deliverables

• Resolve grey area in regulations
• Local registrations
• EU MRL / EU Import Tolerances
• Knowledge and confirmation
• Breakdown curves
• Adaptive research
• Improve practice
• Train farmers
• Available information

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Summary

• MRL definition
• Risk of residues on human health
• Risk of residues on exported fruit from South
  Africa
• Regulations around residues
• SA PIP

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Links

• For citrus MRL www.cga.co.za
• For deciduous fruit MRL www.dfpt.co.za
• Default MRL in RSA on regulated crops
  www.nda.agric.za
• SA PIP www.ppecb.com/sapip

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Questions ?
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Do you know ?

• What means MRL?
• Is the safety limit higher or lower than the MRL
  of a specific CPP?
• Name 3 countries in Europe that are not part of
  the EU.
• Why are MRLs harmonised in the EU?
• Why dont we have harmonised MRLs for all CPPs in
  Europe right now?

28
Do you know ??

• Which law governs pesticide use in SA?
• Which MRL applies for export fruit from SA?
• What means SA PIP?
• How big is the risk of exported subtropical fruit
  to exceed the default export MRL?