The Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues recommends to the Codex Alimentarius Commission establishment of maximum
limits for pesticide residues for specific food items or in groups of food. A Codex Maximum Limit for Pesticide
Residues (MRLP) is the maximum concentration of a 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 the respective MRLPs are intended to be toxicologically acceptable, that is, consideration
of the various dietary residue intake estimates and determinations both at the national and international level in
comparison with the ADI, should indicate that foods complying with the MRLPs are safe for human consumption.
Codex MRLPs are primarily intended to apply in international trade and are derived from reviews conducted by the
Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) following:
- Review of residue data from supervised trials and supervised uses including those reflecting national good
agricultural practices (GAP). Data from supervised trials conducted at the highest nationally recommended,
authorized, or registered uses are included in the review. In order to accommodate variations in national pest
control requirements, Codex MRLPs take into account the higher levels shown to arise in such supervised trials,
which are considered to represent effective pest control practices, and
- Toxicological assessment of the pesticide and its residue.
Pesticide Residues in Food standards, definitions, and references are located in Volumes 2A and 2B of the
Codex Alimentarius, Pesticides in Foods (General Texts) and Pesticides in Foods (Maximum Residue Limits).
The next meeting of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues will be held in Beijing, China
April 14-19, 2008. Matters to be considered at the meeting include:
- Draft and Proposed Draft Limits (to be considered at step 4 and step 7 of the Codex procedure and for revocation)
The Committee continues work on:
- Proposed Draft Revision of the Codex Classification of Foods and Animal Feeds
- Proposed Draft Revision of the List of Methods for Pesticide Residue Analysis
- Discussion paper on the establishment of MRLs for Processed or Ready-to-Eat Foods
New Work
- Priority List of Pesticides for evaluation by JMPR
- Extension of the Work on the Revision of the Codex Classification of Foods and Animal Feeds
DELEGATES
U.S. Delegate
Lois Rossi
Director of Registration Division
Office of Pesticide Programs
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Ariel Rios Building
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20460
Phone: (703) 305-5447
Fax: (703) 305-6920
Email: Rossi.Lois@epamail.epa.gov
Alternate Delegate
Robert Epstein, Ph.D.
Deputy Administrator
Science and Technology
Agricultural Marketing Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Room 1090 South Building
1400 Independence Ave. SW
Mail Stop 0270
Washington, DC 20090
Phone (202) 720-5231
Fax: (202) 720-6496
Email: Robert.Epstein@usda.gov
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