FOOD AND HEALTH ESSENTIALS

U.S. EPA lowers tolerance levels for the insecticide deltamethrin

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published amended tolerance levels for the insecticide deltamethrin when used in oranges, citrus dried pulp and citrus oil.

Recently published in the U.S. Federal Register, the reduced tolerance levels were implemented in response to a petition received by the EPA in January 2015. The EPA cites out of date food consumption information from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and previously insufficient information on the use of the insecticide in or on imported oranges and citrus foods, along with its own research, as the basis for its decision to lower the tolerance levels consistent with those proposed in that petition.

The new tolerance limits for deltamethrin took effect on March 27^th. The complete text of the EPA’s rule as published in the Federal Register is available here.