Maximum Residue Limit and Organic Farming… Let’s take stock!

Kézako

All foodstuffs intended for human or animal consumption in the European Union (EU) are subject to maximum residue limits (MRLs) for pesticides in order to protect animal and human health. European legislation regulates the MRLs that apply to different products and establishes a default MRL when no specific MRL exists.

They are based on good agricultural practices and the minimum consumer exposure necessary to protect the most vulnerable consumers.
Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 harmonises at Community level the MRLs of pesticides authorised in products of animal or plant origin intended for human or animal consumption.

Setting maximum residue limits for pesticides in plant-based foodstuffs takes into account agronomic realities as well as toxicological requirements.

To ensure that the MRLs defined for a pesticide comply with consumer safety, the following calculation is performed:

• It is assumed that each fruit, vegetable and cereal for which a marketing authorization for the pesticide has been issued contains the maximum authorized level of pesticide residue (maximalist assumption).
• We sum up these potential residues by taking into account the diet of all population categories, including sensitive ones such as four-month-old babies and children.
  The theoretical amount of pesticide ingested is then compared to the acceptable daily intake (ADI), which corresponds to the dose without effect (not causing disease), obtained after toxicity studies on animals (metabolism, carcinogenesis, mutagenesis…).
• Safety factors are added to account for possible variations in behavior between humans and animals and between different population groups.

“In all cases , the MRLs are established in such a way as to remain well below toxicological thresholds , that is to say, in such a way that the quantities of residues that an individual is likely to find daily in their food are in no way toxic, in the short and long term.
Studies conducted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) also indicate that the ingestion of residues of plant protection products remains well below the acceptable daily intake and that there is therefore no risk of toxicity for the consumer.

Ahem, anyway, anyway

Why are we talking about this now?

Because the limit thresholds have recently been lowered for Etoxazole and Bifenazate in particular (used as an acaricide for hop production in some countries) and the implementation of these new thresholds is effective from April 2024.

Okay, and what about me?

Well, those of you who have chosen to work with products labeled “Organic Agriculture” are not affected!

MRLs are the limits applicable to conventional products.

Organic products must not contain any chemical residues. That’s the principle.

So, zero residues in organic products, is that right?

Yes. Almost. But organic farmland isn’t under a glass dome…

Some investigations have detected traces of contaminants in organic food. These are, of course, all below the Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) set by European regulations. According to the latest report from EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), the independent agency responsible for assessing risks in the food sector, 88% of organic products are free of quantifiable pesticide residues.

Organic professionals cannot, at the moment, guarantee to sell products totally free of synthetic chemical pesticide residues, in particular because of the very small proportion of organic land in France (10.5% of agricultural land).

Moreover, pollutants remain present in soils and water for many years, even if they are no longer in use.

In contrast, organic farmers commit to doing everything possible to protect themselves from environmental contamination by:

– planting hedges, respecting separation distances between crops, carrying out analyses…

– rigorous control of their products (at least one mandatory on-site inspection per year and unannounced inspections). These inspections can lead to downgrades if traces of pesticides are detected.

Adherence to organic farming standards (the various texts are usefully listed here ) has a direct impact on the pesticide residues that can be detected in the final product. While residues are detected in 42% of food in France, the rate is 12% for organic products. https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/sp.efsa.2021.EN-6487

A study by FIBL reviews the scientific literature on the pathways of unintentional contamination of organic food by synthetic pesticides in Europe: cross-contamination via runoff, airborne contamination, cross-contamination with products treated in transport, storage, or processing facilities, spray drift, and contaminated soil. Organically managed soils have fewer pesticides and lower pesticide residue levels than conventionally managed soils. Residue concentrations are 70 to 90% lower in organically managed soils. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749122013306

In Europe, 455 pesticide substances are approved (as of 2021) under Regulation 1107/2009 on substances. Organic farming regulations authorize only 59 of these, or approximately 13%. In France, 10.5% of land is cultivated organically, with 87% of the permitted chemical products being used, which are prohibited by the organic farming specifications.

Work in progress, as they say… Your choice to produce under the Organic Label and our work, among other things, contribute to supporting more respectful and regenerative agriculture. THANK YOU

Sources:

https://agriculture.gouv.fr/maitrise-des-produits-phytosanitaires-limites-maximales-de-residus-lmr

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/FR/legal-content/summary/pesticide-residues-in-food-and-animal-feed.html

Website of the Bio Agency