What Growers Need To Know About Maximum Residue Levels
February 2, 2015 As distributors and retailers respond to consumers’ demand for produce with lower levels of residual pesticides, growers are being pushed to adopt softer chemistries to manage the increasingly strict standards.
In this Q&A, Cindy Baker Smith – senior vice president of Global Regulatory Affairs & Product Development at Amvac Chemical Co., and a presenter at the Biocontrols 2015 Conference & Tradeshow – addresses what you need to know regarding maximum residue levels (MRLs), and ways that biocontrols can help you meet your tolerance levels.
Cindy Baker Smith
How are MRLs set? How does this vary by market? By country?
Baker Smith: MRLs are set in most countries by the regulatory agency that regulates pesticides – or example, EPA in the U.S., the Pest Management Authority Agency (PMRA) in Canada, and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in Europe. CODEX Alimentarius, backed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food And Agriculture Organization of The United Nations (FAO), also sets international tolerances, and countries that recognize the CODEX MRLs will use those. There are some differences in how each country sets an MRL, but just about all of them use the relevant toxicological endpoint and exposure data (typically from residue studies and diet consumption data).
How have tolerances for MRLs evolved over the past decade or so?
Baker Smith: There have been several significant changes in how MRLs are set and regulated that are of particular importance to growers, food processors, shippers, etc. More and more countries are now setting their own MRLs rather than defaulting to CODEX or to European Union (EU) or U.S. MRLs. Additionally, more countries have moved away from the default tolerances (typically very low levels of detection like .01 ppm) and require an MRL for the commodity to be imported into their country. As the levels of detection are quite low for many products and there is increased awareness regarding compliance with MRLs, MRLs have become a much greater concern.
How is the supply chain – processors, retailers, consumers – driving product choices and uses for growers, particularly regarding MRLs? How have their opinions and behaviors impacted the market?
Baker Smith: Consumers probably started most of the actions by asking for organic or pesticide-free foods. They want more and more to understand where and how their food is grown. Retailers and processors have capitalized on what they view is an opportunity to offer more information to consumers, pesticid- free foods, all natural, etc. It is more common now for retailers and processors to ask which products have been used on the commodities they are purchasing. There are also retailers and processors banning the use of certain products, requiring any residues to be below the established MRLs.
How are growers using biocontrols to help meet MRL requirements?
Baker Smith: Growers are using biocontrols for several reasons — they grow organic commodities, they want products that can be safely and legally used close to harvest, etc. Sometimes biocontrols are registered with an exemption from the requirement for a tolerance or MRL which can be a real advantage to growers. Additionally, even if they are required to obtain a tolerance or MRL, the biocontrol can often obtain a registration and corresponding MRL more quickly than conventional chemistry.
When is the ideal time during the season for growers to apply their biocontrol product to get the lowest possible MRL?
Baker Smith: This varies by product. Some products have a very short residual and therefore could be applied at any time. Others may have more residual presence and activity. The key to complying with MRLs for the products you use is to follow the approved label and the preharvest interval and/or application timing recommended on the label.
What’s the best and easiest way for growers to achieve tolerance across all of their markets through use of biocontrols?
Baker Smith: The best and easiest way for growers to ensure that the products they want to use have the necessary tolerances or MRLs is to work with the registrant of the product. Registrants have the expertise and the data necessary to obtain tolerances and MRLs. Additionally, there are private companies and consultants, like Bryant Christie, that have expertise in obtaining the necessary tolerances and MRLs. Often, commodity groups such as the National Potato Council, the California Citrus Quality Council, and the California Almond Board have expertise in obtaining MRLs. An excellent resource for looking up tolerances and MRLs by active ingredient is www.mrldatabase.com.
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