Maximum residue levels for deltamethrin

Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/876 of 21 April 2026 amending Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards maximum residue levels for acetamiprid, aclonifen, deltamethrin, oxathiapiprolin and potassium phosphonates in or on certain products

Update

The European Union (EU) has increased the maximum residue level (MRL) for deltamethrin on cherries from 0.1 to 0.15 mg/kg.

Impacted Products

Citrus fruits, grapefruits, oranges, lemons, limes, mandarins, tree nuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, cashew nuts, chestnuts, coconuts, hazelnuts/ cobnuts, macadamias, pecans, pine nut kernels, pistachios, walnuts, pears, cherries, plums, blackberries, dewberries, raspberries, kiwi fruits, mangoes, papayas, potatoes, tomatoes, sweet peppers/bell peppers, okra/lady’s fingers, melons, watermelons, head cabbages, lettuces, escaroles/broad-leaved endives, witloofs/Belgian endives, chives, celery leaves, parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, basil and edible flowers, laurel/bay leaves, tarragon, globe artichokes, beans, oilseeds, linseeds, peanuts/groundnuts, sesame seeds, cotton seeds, pumpkin seeds, safflower seeds, poppy seeds, borage seeds, hemp seeds, castor beans, sunflower seeds, mustard seeds, gold of pleasure seeds, oil palms kernels, oil palms fruits, kapok, chamomile, hibiscus, rose, jasmine, lime/ linden, strawberry, rooibos, maté, cocoa beans, carobs, hops, spices, anise, black caraway/black cumin, celery, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, fenugreek, nutmeg, cinnamon, mace, allspice/pimento, Sichuan pepper, caraway, cardamom, juniper berry, peppercorn, vanilla, tamarind, cloves, capers, saffron, sugar beetroots

What is changing?

The EU has increased the MRL for deltamethrin on cherries from 0.1 to 0.15 mg/kg.

In June 2025, the EU raised the MRL for deltamethrin on papayas from 0.1 to 0.2 mg/kg.

Previous changes to deltamethrin MRLs are listed in Table 1.

Why?

A modification of the existing MRLs was requested for cherries. The European Food Safety Authority has concluded that the new MRL proposal for cherries is safe for consumers (EFSA 2025).

The EU MRL on papayas was aligned with the new Codex MRL (CXL) adopted in November 2024 (CAC 2024). The EU aligns MRLs with CXLs where they are not considered to be a concern for consumer safety.

Timeline

The new MRL for cherries applies from 12 May 2026.

The MRL for papayas has applied since 6 July 2025.

Previous changes to MRLs, listed in Table 1, have applied since 11 December 2024.

Background

In 2024, the MRLs for deltamethrin were lowered to the limit of determination (LOD) of 0.01–0.05 mg/kg on kiwi fruits, potatoes, cabbages, escaroles, globe artichokes, oilseeds, and spices (Regulation 2024/1342; see Table 1). (The LOD is the lowest level that can be detected using the most modern and reliable analytical methods.)

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.

Resources

Sources

Tables & Figures

Source: based on Regulation 2024/1342