Codex Report, 6 - 11 May 2013

CODEX - Report of the 45th Session of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues

The 45th Session of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues reached the following conclusions:

MATTERS FOR ADOPTION BY THE 36TH SESSION OF THE COMMISSION

• Draft and proposed draft MRLs for pesticides
• Draft and proposed draft MRLs for pesticide at Steps 8 and 5/8 with omission of Steps 6/7 (paras. 17 ¡V 90, Appendices II and III);
• Draft revision to the Classification of Food and Feed at Step 5 (selected vegetable commodity groups ¡V roots and tubers) at Step 5 (para. 123, Appendix XI).

Other matters for adoption

• Principles and guidance for application of the proportionality concept for estimation of MRLs (for inclusion in the Procedural Manual as an Annex to the Risk Analysis Principles applied by the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues) (para. 98, Appendix VIII);
• Consequential amendments to maximum residue limits for pesticides for fruit commodity groups due to the revision of the Classification of Food and Feed as per these commodity groups (paras. 109-110, Appendix IX).

Revocation of MRLs for pesticides

• Revocation of MRLs for pesticides (paras 17 ¡V 90, Appendix IV).

Approval of new work

• Priority List for the Establishment of MRLs for Pesticides (para. 161, Appendix XIV).
• Guidance on performance criteria specific for methods of analysis for the determination of pesticide residues (para. 140, Appendix XII).

MATTERS OF INTEREST TO THE COMMISSION

The Committee:

• noted matters arising from the 2012 JMPR including replies to specific concerns raised by the last session of the Committee (paras. 17 - 90);
• agreed to retain several draft and proposed draft MRLs for pesticides at Steps 7 and 4 awaiting for JMPR evaluations (paras. 17 ¡V 90, Appendices V and VI);
• agreed to withdraw several draft and proposed draft MRLs for pesticides in view of the advancement of corresponding MRLs to Steps 8 and 5/8 (paras. 17-90, Appendix VII);
• agreed on the completion of the pilot project for JMPR recommendation of MRLs before national governments or other regional registration authorities for a global joint review chemical by advancing several proposed draft MRLs for the new chemical sulfoxaflor to the Commission for final adopiont; retained a few proposed MRLs for further evaluation by JMPR; and did not identify any follow-up actions (paras. 75-80, 170, 175-176, 182, Appendix III);
• agreed to hold selected vegetable commodity groups on ¡§brassica (cole or cabbage vegetables, head and flowerhead heads¡¨; ¡§leadfy vegetables (including brassical leafy vegetables)¡¨; and ¡§stalk and stem vegetables¡¨ at Step 7 pending finalization of the Classification of Food and Feed in relation to the vegetable commodity groups (para. 118, Appendix X);
• agreed to continue working on the revision of the Classification of Food and Feed through the identification of other vegetable commodity groups (para.124);
• agreed to continue to work on examples of selection of representative commodities for vegetable and other commodity groups in parallel with the revision of the Classification of Food and Feed for inclusion in the Principles and Guidance for the Selection of Representative Commodities for the Extrapolation of Maximum Residue Limits for Pesticides to Commodity Groups (paras. 131-132);
• agreed to continue work on criteria for use by CCPR and JMPR to determine the minimum number of field trials necessary to support the establishment of MRLs for minor crops / specialty crops in order to facilitate data submission to JMPR and other related issues (para. 136);
• continue the revision of the Risk Analysis Principles applied by the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues with a view to their finalization by the next session of the Committee (paras. 149-150, Appendix XIII);
• noted that there was not enough support to consider new avenues to assist CCPR in the establishment of MRLs for new active compounds and agreed not to pursue the matter at this point in time (para. 182).

For a copy of the full report, go to: http://www.codexalimentarius.org/download/report/799/REP13_PRe.pdf