Maximum residue levels for chlormequat
- Food safety
- Pesticide MRLs
Summary
The European Union (EU) has raised the maximum residue levels (MRLs) for chlormequat on oats. The European Commission has also informed the World Trade Organization Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (WTO SPS) Committee (G/SPS/N/EU/899) that it intends to reduce the chlormequat MRLs on animal products and cultivated fungi.
EU raises chlormequat MRL on oats, and proposes MRL reductions on animal products and fungi
Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/140 of 22 January 2026 amending Annexes II and III to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards maximum residue levels for acequinocyl, chlormequat, metalaxyl-M, pyraclostrobin, sulfoxaflor and trifloxystrobin in or on certain products
Draft Commission Regulation amending Annexes II, III and V to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards maximum residue levels for 1,4-dimethylnaphthalene, chlormequat, metribuzin, metribuzin-desamino-diketo (metribuzin-DADK), terbuthylazine and triclopyr in or on certain products.
Draft Annex IIIA
Update
The European Union (EU) has raised the maximum residue levels (MRLs) for chlormequat on oats. The European Commission has also informed the World Trade Organization Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (WTO SPS) Committee (G/SPS/N/EU/899) that it intends to reduce the chlormequat MRLs on animal products and cultivated fungi.
Impacted Products
Fungi, mosses, lichens, swine (all), cattle (all), sheep (liver), sheep (fat), sheep (edible offals), goat (all), horse (all), poultry (all), other farmed terrestrial animals (all), milk (all), birds' eggs (domestic fowl)
What is changing?
The EU has raised the MRL for chlormequat on oats from 15 to 30 mg/kg (Regulation 2026/140). The EU also proposes to reduce the MRLs for chlormequat on certain products as summarised in Table 1.
Why?
The MRL for chlormequat on oats has been raised following a request to modify the previous MRL, which was considered safe on the basis of a risk assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA 2025).
When a temporary MRL is set, it is reviewed periodically to take account of new monitoring data submitted by food operators. If there is no data, or if the data shows that residues are no longer detectable, then the MRL is lowered to the limit of determination (LOD, the lowest level that can be detected using the most modern and reliable analytical methods). In the case of chlormequat on oyster mushrooms, where the MRL was set at 6 mg/kg, the latest data submitted showed that the residues detected were under 2 mg/kg (but still higher than the LOD of 0.01 mg/kg). So in this case, it is proposed to reduce the MRL from 6 down to 2 mg/kg, but not as low as the LOD. The same applies to the case of cultivated fungi, where it is proposed to reduce the MRL from 0.9 to 0.6 mg/kg.
Chlormequat may be used on oilseeds or cereals used as animal feed, with potential carry-over of chlormequat residues in food products of animal origin. EFSA (2024) has concluded that this carry-over could be accommodated by lowering the MRLs for most animal products except for sheep kidney, and for poultry muscle and fat.
Timeline
The new MRL on oats applies from 11 February 2026.
The Regulation on fungi and animal products is expected to be published in July 2026, and new MRLs are expected to apply from late 2026 or early 2027.
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.
For further information on the EU’s process and principles for setting MRLs, see Regulation of pesticide residues in the EU – Questions and Answers.
Resources
EFSA (2024) Assessment of fall-back MRLs for revoked CXLs previously implemented in the EU legislation and review of the JMPR evaluation of the toxicological data related to pyrasulfotole, pyraziflumid, spiropidion and tetraniliprole. EFSA Journal, 22(5): e8693.
EFSA (2025) Modification of the existing maximum residue level for chlormequat in oat. EFSA Journal, 23(4): e9385.
Sources
Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/140 as regards maximum residue levels for acequinocyl, chlormequat, metalaxyl-M, pyraclostrobin, sulfoxaflor and trifloxystrobin in or on certain products
Draft Commission Regulation as regards maximum residue levels for 1,4-dimethylnaphthalene, chlormequat, metribuzin, metribuzin-desamino-diketo (metribuzin-DADK), terbuthylazine and triclopyr in or on certain products.
Draft Annex IIIA
Tables & Figures
Disclaimer: Under no circumstances shall COLEAD be liable for any loss, damage, liability or expense incurred or suffered that is claimed to have resulted from the use of information available on this website or any link to external sites. The use of the website is at the user’s sole risk and responsibility. This information platform was created and maintained with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents do not, however, reflect the views of the European Union.
EU raises chlormequat MRL on oats, and proposes MRL reductions on animal products and fungi
Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/140 as regards maximum residue levels for acequinocyl, chlormequat, metalaxyl-M, pyraclostrobin, sulfoxaflor and trifloxystrobin in or on certain products
Draft Commission Regulation as regards maximum residue levels for 1,4-dimethylnaphthalene, chlormequat, metribuzin, metribuzin-desamino-diketo (metribuzin-DADK), terbuthylazine and triclopyr in or on certain products.
Draft Annex IIIA
What is changing and why?
The European Union (EU) has raised the maximum residue level (MRL) for chlormequat on oats from 15 to 30 mg/kg.
The European Commission has also informed the World Trade Organization Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (WTO SPS) Committee that it intends to reduce the MRLs for chlormequat on animal products and cultivated fungi (see Table 1).
When a temporary MRL is set, it is reviewed periodically to take account of new monitoring data submitted by food operators. If there is no data, or if the data shows that residues are no longer detectable, then the MRL is lowered to the limit of determination (LOD, the lowest level that can be detected using the most modern and reliable analytical methods). In the case of chlormequat on oyster mushrooms, where the MRL was set at 6 mg/kg, the latest data submitted showed that the residues detected were under 2 mg/kg (but still higher than the LOD of 0.01 mg/kg). So in this case, it is proposed to reduce the MRL from 6 down to 2 mg/kg, but not as low as the LOD. The same applies to the case of cultivated fungi, where it is proposed to reduce the MRL from 0.9 to 0.6 mg/kg. It is also proposed to lower the MRLs for most animal products except for sheep kidney, and for poultry muscle and fat. This is because chlormequat residues can be carried over to products of animal origin when it is used on oilseeds or cereals used as feed.
Timeline
The new MRL on oats applies from 11 February 2026.
The Regulation on fungi and animal products is expected to be published in July 2026, and new MRLs are expected to apply from late 2026 or early 2027.
Tables & Figures
Disclaimer: Under no circumstances shall COLEAD be liable for any loss, damage, liability or expense incurred or suffered that is claimed to have resulted from the use of information available on this website or any link to external sites. The use of the website is at the user’s sole risk and responsibility. This information platform was created and maintained with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents do not, however, reflect the views of the European Union.