Food and Health E-ssentials

US EPA establishes new tolerance levels for certain pesticides

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently established or revised tolerance levels for the use of six separate pesticides in connection with certain fruits and vegetables.

Published in the U.S. Federal Register in February 2020, the new tolerance levels apply to the following pesticides:

• Acetamiprid — Establishes new tolerance levels for use in brassica, celtuce, cottonseed, fennel and kohlrabi
• Cyantraniliprole — Increases tolerance levels for use in strawberries
• Chlorfenapyr — Establishes new tolerances for use in or on basil (fresh leaves), chive (fresh leaves) and cucumber.  Increases tolerance levels for use on vegetable, fruiting, group 8-10
• Difenoconazole — Revises tolerance levels for dried ginseng tea. Removes tolerance levels for beet sugar and carrots
• Flutriafol — Revises tolerance levels for use in or on alfalfa, barley, cattle, corn and eggs

• Prohexadione calcium — Establishes tolerance levels for use in or on alfalfa forage, alfalfa hay and field corn forage

The new tolerance levels became applicable upon their publication in the Federal Register and are now in effect.

The EPA’s Final Rules concerning tolerance levels for these pesticides as published in the Federal Register are available as follows:

• Acetamiprid
• Cyantraniliprole  
• Chlorfenapyr 
• Difenoconazole 
• Flutriafol 
• Prohexadione calcium