FOOD AND HEALTH ESSENTIALS

U.S. EPA modifies pesticide MRLs

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently released a number of revised tolerance levels for pesticides used in connections with food and food products.

In approximately 20 separate actions during the first three months of 2017, the EPA has modified pesticide tolerance levels for the following substances:

• Propiconazole in or on avocados
• Tetraconazole in or on certain categories of fruits and vegetables
• Acequinocyl in multiple food commodities
• Propamocarb in or on potatoes
• 2, 4-D in or on gin byproducts and underlined cotton seed
• Hexythiazox in or on beet, sugar, root, and dried pulp
• Thiamethoxam in or on bananas
• Flupyradifurone in or on sweet sorghum
• Oxytetracycline in or on citrus fruit
• Streptomycin in or on citrus fruit
• Cloquintocet-mexyl for use as an inert ingredient
• Cyantraniliprole in or on multiple food categories

In addition, the EPA has also move to exempt the following chemicals from EPA pesticide tolerance levels:

• Butanedioic acid
• Octadecanoic acid
• Polyglycerol polyricinoleate
• Fatty acids and montan-wax, ethoxylated
• Aspergillus flavus AF36 used in or on almonds and figs
• Isoamyl acetate when used as an inert ingredient (buffering agent) 

More information regarding these changes is available on the EPA website.