Revision of the Standards and Specifications for Foods and Food Additives under the Food Sanitation Act (revision of agricultural chemical residue standards)

Proposed maximum residue limits (MRLs) for the following agricultural chemical:Pesticide: Propiconazole.Propiconazole is used as a fungicide during production of crops, and it is also used for post-harvest treatment on citrus fruits and stone fruits. Post-harvest pesticides, which are used to prevent mold from getting on harvested crops, are regulated as food additives in Japan. The Food Sanitation Act defines food additives as substances which are used by being added, mixed or infiltrated into food or by other methods in the process of producing food or for the purpose of processing or preserving food. Propiconazole is not currently permitted to use for post-harvest treatment. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan (MHLW) has decided to newly designate Propiconazole as a food additive, and to set the use standard for citrus fruits (excluding unshu orange), peach, nectarine, apricot, Japanese plum and cherry on the basis of scientific data provided by an applicant. Along with this, the MHLW has decided to establish maximum residue limits (MRLs) for Propiconazole on these commodities so that their Propiconazole residue concentrations will not exceed the MRLs if the pesticide is used properly according to the use standards. The MHLW is also going to revise MRLs in several commodities on the basis of the scientific data such as supervised residue trials conducted by Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs). When setting the MRLs, the MHLW confirmed that the estimated long-term and short-term dietary exposures to Propiconazole do not exceed an ADI of 0.019 mg/kg bw and an ARfD of 0.3 mg/kg bw, respectively, which were set by the Food Safety Commission of Japan.