Maximum residue levels for carbetamide
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EU lowers MRLs for carbetamide on lettuces and escaroles/ broad-leaved endives
Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2382 of 29 September 2023 amending Annexes II and V to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards maximum residue levels for carbetamide, carboxin and triflumuron in or on certain products
Update
The European Commission is reducing the maximum residue levels (MRLs) for carbetamide on lettuces and escaroles/ broad-leaved endives to 0.01 mg/kg. The MRLs for all other products were already set at the limit of determination (LOD, the lowest level that can be detected using the most modern and reliable analytical methods), but the LOD is being lowered from 0.02 to 0.01 mg/kg for tree nuts, witloofs/ Belgian endives, lentils, peas, chicory roots, oilseeds, and oil fruits.
Impacted Products
lettuces, escaroles and broad-leaved endives, almonds, Brazil nuts, cashew nuts, chestnuts, coconuts, hazelnuts, cobnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nut kernels, pistachios, walnuts, witloofs, Belgian endives, lentils, peas, chicory roots, linseeds, peanuts, groundnuts, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, rapeseeds, canola seeds, soyabeans, mustard seeds, cotton seeds, pumpkin seeds, safflower seeds, borage seeds, gold of pleasure seeds, hemp seeds, castor beans, olives, oil palm kernels, oil palm fruits, kapok
What is changing?
The EU has lowered the MRLs for lettuces and escaroles/ broad-leaved endives from 0.06 to 0.01 mg/kg. On all other products, the MRL was already set at the LOD, but is being lowered to 0.01 mg/kg on tree nuts, witloofs/ Belgian endives, lentils, peas, chicory roots, oilseeds, and oil fruits.
Why?
The approval of carbetamide for use in the EU expired on 31 May 2021, and the applicant withdrew the application for its renewal. As this substance is no longer authorised, and there are no Codex Alimentarius MRLs or import tolerances for carbetamide, all MRLs have been reduced to the LOD.
Timeline
The new MRLs will apply from 25 April 2024.
Recommended Actions
Suppliers to the EU market of lettuces, escaroles, and broad-leaved endives must ensure that alternative solutions to existing use of carbetamide on these products are found by April 2024.
Products exported before 25 April 2024 that comply with the old MRLs will not be removed from the EU market after 25 April, even if they are not compliant with the new MRLs.
Background
MRLs are set in accordance with the rules set out in Regulation 396/2005. For information on current MRLs for other substances, please consult the EU Pesticide Residues database.
Sources
Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2382