Reduction of toxicological reference values and maximum residue values

The Central Control and Testing Institute in Agriculture in Bratislava (hereinafter referred to as the "Control Institute") informs authorizations holders, parallel trade permit holders and users of plant protection products containing the active substance acetamiprid that at the meeting of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed on 23 and 24 September 2024, a reduction in the toxicological reference values (acute reference dose and acceptable daily intake) of the active substance acetamiprid from 0.025 mg/kg body weight to 0.005 mg/kg body weight was approved and, in connection with this, a reduction in the maximum residue levels (hereinafter referred to as the "MRL") for 37 products of plant and animal origin. The new (reduced) MRL values will apply six months after the entry into force of the regulation amending them (probably in the summer of 2025). Given that it is necessary to provide authorisation holders, parallel trade permit holders and users with time to adapt to the new MRL values, the Control Institute will start the procedure for amending authorisations or for revoking authorisations of plant protection products containing the active substance acetamiprid in the coming days. In the framework of this procedure, authorisation holders will be invited to submit an expert opinion of the Public Health Office of the Slovak Republic, and they will also be allowed to submit new residue studies, if they have them available. Based on the expert opinion of the Public Health Office of the Slovak Republic, the affected authorised uses will be adjusted so that products treated with these plant protection products comply with the new lower MRLs. The labels of plant protection products permitted for parallel trade will subsequently be adjusted according to the relevant reference product.

The reduction of the MRLs concerns the following products of plant and animal origin:

Apples, pears, quinces, medlars, apricots, cherries, peaches, table grapes, wine grapes, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, cranberries, gooseberries, elderberries, table olives, tomatoes, sweet peppers, cucumbers, courgettes, melons, pumpkins, watermelon, broccoli, cauliflower, head cabbage, lamb's lettuces, Roman rocket/rucola, red mustard, bovine liver, edible bovine offal (other than liver and kidney).

The reduction of the MRL to the limit of quantification level (0.01 mg/kg) concerns the following products:

Currants, bananas, lettuces, escaroles/broad-leaved endives, spinaches, chards/beet leaves.

The specific values of the new MRL levels can be found in the EU Pesticide Database

https://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/pesticides/eu-pesticides-database/start/screen/mrls/details?lg_code=EN&pest_res_id_list=10

 We therefore recommend the agricultural public to take these facts into account when planning the application of these plant protection products