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AgVetLink August 2004: Page 5

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MRL update

The public consultation for the second round of amendments to the maximum residue limit (MRL) standards for this year has finished and will shortly be submitted to the Minister for her approval. The second amendment contains the following:

To exempt from the MRL Food Standards 2004 

• Copper and its salt 
• Sulphur in all foods from plant species 
• Chitosan in all foods from plant species 
• Pentosan polysulphate in all foods from animal species 
• Cloprostenol and R-Cloprostenol in all foods from animal species 
• Bismuth and its salts in all foods from animal species 
• Buserelin in all foods from animal species 
• Hydrocortisone in all foods from animal species 
• Thymol 

To provide an MRL for 

• Tolylfluanid in pome fruit
• Meloxicam in pigs.

Third round

The public consultation phase of the third round of amendments should be starting soon. This round will propose:

To exempt from the MRL Food Standards 2004 

• Thiopental sodium in all foods from animal species 
• Iodine in all foods from animal species 
• Ixosuprine in all foods from animal species 
• Medroxyprogesterone acetate in all foods from animal species 
• Oestradiol-17 beta and its esters or conjugates in all foods from animal species 
• Etamiphyline cansylate in all foods from animal species 
• Fatty acids containing 8 or more carbons, and their salts in all foods from plant species 

To provide an MRL for 

• Cyprodinil in grapes, stone fruit and pome fruit 
• Xylazine in deer velvet 
• Lignocaine in deer velvet 
• Permethrin in kumara.

 

Total Diet Survey

The third quarter results of the New Zealand Total Diet Survey have been released by NZFSA and again show that the average New Zealand diet presents no chemical residue concerns.

The third quarter was the second analysis of a wide range of regional foods, i.e. those generally produced and sold locally such as fresh fruit/vegetables and takeaway foods. The analysis looked for environmental elements such as lead and cadmium, nutrients such as iodine, sodium and iron, and residues of agricultural compounds.

“There were no health concerns from any of the more than 45,000 analyses, and only three minor issues where results were slightly above the default New Zealand MRLs. In each case, there was no health or safety concern at all,” said Total Diet Survey project manager Cherie Flynn.

The three results that exceeded the New Zealand default MRL were for the fungicide Ethoxyquin found in chicken nuggets, and pesticides Pirimiphosmethyl found in celery and Procymidone found in capsicum. The use of the compounds was off-label. Therefore, there is no specific MRL for that compound/crop use and any residue must be lower than the New Zealand default.

To view the complete report, visit the website ( http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz/science/research-projects/total-diet-survey/reports/quarter-3/index.htm ).

 

Timelines

Claud Warren (Technical Standards-Plant Compounds) will be leaving the ACVM Group at the end of July. Changing staff added to exceptionally heavy workloads may mean delays in meeting timelines. Please be patient.

 

Pesticides under the HSNO Act

In June ERMA New Zealand ran workshops around the country on ‘Managing of Pesticides under the HSNO Act’. The ACVM Group was invited to present our perspective on ‘minimising the need for dual regimes’. Warren Hughes presented in the South Island and Maree Zinzley in the North Island.

The workshops, which were attended primarily by produce growers in the main growing regions, covered such topics as controls on hazardous substances. However, the Approved Handler and Test Certifier processes were the hot topics on the agenda and many questions were asked of ERMA New Zealand in regard to changes.