Pesticide residues

Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (Host Government - The Netherlands)

The Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) provides recommendations to the Codex Alimentarius Commission about maximum limits for pesticide residues for specific food items or groups of food.

A Codex Maximum Limit for Pesticide Residues (MRL) is the maximum concentration of pesticide residue (expressed as mg/kg), recommended by the Codex Alimentarius Commission to be legally permitted in or on food commodities and animal feeds. Foods derived from commodities that comply with MRLs are intended to be toxicologically acceptable and safe for human consumption.

Codex MRLs apply in international trade and are derived from evaluations conducted by the Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR).

Existing Codex Standards

A number of standards relating to pesticide residues* have been endorsed and adopted into the international food code they include standards on:

Analysis of Pesticide Residues: Guidelines on Good Laboratory Practice in Pesticide Residue Analysis
Analysis of Pesticide Residues: Portion of Commodities to which Codex MRLS apply and which is analysed
Analysis of Pesticide Residues: Recommended Methods
Extraneous Maximum Residue Limits (EMRLs)
Methods of Sampling for Pesticide Residues for the Determination of Compliance with MRLs

* This is an indicative list only. For a full list of standards approved by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, please consult its Official List of Standards

Outcomes from the 34th Codex Alimentarius

The 34th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission:

Adopted Maximum Residue Limits at Steps 8, 5/8 and 5 as proposed by the 43^rd CCPR
Adopted at Step 5/8 the Revision of the Guidelines on the Estimation of Uncertainty of Results for the Determination of Pesticide Residues (Annex to CAC/GL 59-2006)
Adopted at Step 5 the Draft Revision of the Codex Classification of Foods and Animal Feeds – Assorted Tropical and Sub–tropical Fruits – Edible Peel; Assorted Tropical and Sub–tropical Fruits – Inedible Peel
Revoked MRLs for pesticide/commodity combinations as proposed by the 43^rd CCPR and
Approved the Priority List for the Establishment of MRLs for Pesticides

Last Meeting

The 43rd Session of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues was held in Beijing, China from 4 – 9 April 2011.
At this meeting the Committee agreed to recommend to the 34th Session of the Commission the:

Draft and proposed draft MRLs for pesticide at Steps 8 and 5/8 with omission of Steps 6/7 (paras. 31 - 81 and Appendix II)
Proposed draft revision to the Guidelines on the Estimation of Uncertainty of Results for the Determination of Pesticide Residues (Annex to CAC/GL 59-2006) at Step 5/8 with omission of Steps 6/7 (para. 121 and Appendix X)
Proposed Draft MRLs for pesticides at Step 5 (paras. 31 - 81 and Appendix IV)
Proposed Draft Revision of the Codex Classification of Foods and Animal Feeds: Assorted Tropical and Sub-tropical Fruits - Edible peel and Assorted Tropical and Sub-tropical Fruits - Inedible Peel at Step 5 (para. 100 and Appendix VIII).

New Work

Priority List for the Establishment of MRLs for Pesticides (para. 140 and Appendix XI);

Revocation of MRLs

Revocation of Codex MRLs for pesticides (paras 31 - 81 and Appendix V); and
Revocation of CODEX STAN 229-1993 - Analysis of Pesticide Residues: Recommended Methods (para. 123).

Matters of Interest to the Codex Alimentarius Commission

agreed that the revision of the Risk Analysis Principles applied by the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues in relation to their consistency with the Working Principles for Risk Analysis and their applicability to animal feed should be considered in the framework of the ongoing revision of the Risk Analysis Principles (paras. 8 and 138);
agreed that further discussion on the revision of the definition of “hazard” was no longer necessary (para. 9);
noted a number of matters arising from the 2010 JMPR including replies to specific concerns raised by the last session of the Committee (paras. 11 - 30);
agreed to retain several draft and proposed draft MRLs for pesticides at Steps 7 and 4 awaiting for the JMPR evaluation (paras. 31 - 81);
agreed that the 2011 JMPR could elaborate MRLs proposals with and without making use of the concept of proportionality so that the result could be compared and discussed at the next session of the Committee (para. 86);
agreed to hold the three commodity groups on tree nuts, herbs and spices at Step 7 pending finalization of the revision of the Classification of Foods and Animal Feeds (para. 91);
agreed to return the entry for “Edible Flowers” under the commodity group “Herbs” to Step 6 for comments and consideration at the next session of the Committee (para. 92 and Appendix VII);
agreed to proceed with the elaboration of new groups for several types of vegetables for comments and consideration at its next session (para. 101);
agreed to hold the draft Principles and Guidance for the Selection of Representative Commodities for the Extrapolation of Maximum Residue Limits for Pesticides for Commodity Groups (including Table 1 on fruit commodities) at Step 7 pending the finalization of the revision of the Classification of Foods and Feeds as per the fruit commodity groups (para. 111 and Appendix IX);
agreed that the IAEA would continue to support the maintenance of the web-based method database with a direct link to the Codex website (para. 123);
agreed that Member Countries should monitor the presence of lindane in food commodities and to provide data to JMPR within a period of 2 years for JMPR to review the monitoring data in 2015 prior to decision of conversion of MRLs to EMRLs (para. 150);
agreed that CCPR could not solve the problem of resource issues faced by JMPR in the provision of scientific advice to CCPR and that this issue should be raised by Member Countries at the highest level including the next session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (paras. 154-155);
agreed that, in relation to the capacity of JMPR to provide scientific advice to CCPR, the Working Group on Priorities should consider ranking the compounds eligible for Periodic Review on the basis of health risks to assist in the establishment of the Priority List at the next session of the Committee (para. 156);

Download the report from this meeting

Next Meeting

The 44th Session of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues will be held in Shanghai, China, from 23 – 28 April 2012.

Download the agenda for this meeting