“Number of MRL overruns decreases, impact increases”

How are residues doing nowadays? Carine de Clercq, CEO of Primoris, bases her answer on the recent monitoring report of FAVV (the Belgian Federal Agency for Safety in the Food Chain). The results for 2015 are presented in this report. The number of MRL overruns stagnated in recent years. For the fresh produce sector, the percentage of MRL overruns were at 2.7 per cent. For some products, such as herbs, tea and spices, this number was significantly higher. For import products from outside of the EU, this percentage was also higher, 11.5 per cent against 3.3 per cent for Belgian products (when taking measuring uncertainty into account it is even just 1.4 per cent). She also notes that the size of the overruns is decreasing. “But the consequences attached to an overrun are larger. Therefore, when we find something, the impact is enormous. Both customer and government then immediately come into action. Notices, fines, recalls; you name it.”

Primoris is the name of what used to be called Fytolab. This name was changed in 2015 because of global name protection. With the change in name, a holding structure was also founded. Several Primoris companies are covered by Primoris Holding, including three laboratories in Belgium, Bulgaria and Colombia, and the commercial office in France. Recently, the certification body CKCert and consultancy and training company Agro ABC also became covered by Primoris Holding. The holding has two aims: organisation and coordination of activities within the group on the one hand, and on the other hand the development of the group.

About half the jobs Primoris performs are focused on the fresh produce sector. Analysis of leafy vegetables, part of the Belgian pre-harvest inspection system, is a legal system and remains a fixture in the lab’s range of activities. Furthermore, the company is active in industry, processing and other products. “We see an increase in the number of specialised products, including herbs, cocoa beans and oil-rich seeds.” According to De Clercq, a large change in the fresh produce sector came when retail started setting extralegal requirements. “That situation has existed for a longer period now, and we no longer see much changes in that. There are no large changes in the fresh produce sector. However, in recent years we have seen an increasing demand for mycotoxin analyses in the lab, but this is mostly for nuts, grains and dried fruit. Mycotoxins are produced by moulds and are toxic. It is expected that more attention will be paid to them in legislation.” 

The decision to go to Bulgaria a few years ago was based on the development of Bulgaria as a new EU member country, together with Romania. These also have to focus on European legislation. In this country, and also in other countries in which Primoris operates, room on the market existed. Bulgaria and Colombia are both countries with potential. We wanted to be trendsetters there, so we were present in time. Primoris is also a market leader on those markets.

Neighbouring countries France and the Netherlands are, according to De Clercq, important growth markets. “Especially in recent years we have been more commercially active in the Netherlands. A growth can also be seen for Primoris in France: we do not just have a representative in the north, but also in the south. It has not yet been decided how the plans for the Netherlands and France will evolve, but we can tell the Netherlands and France are beautiful growth markets for us.”

New is that the import legislation recently included the checking for the Norovirus on berries from Serbia. This import legislation is updated every six months. This attention for virus analyses (and microbiological analyses in general) on plant products will only increase. Primoris Bulgaria is currently working on an expansion for virus analyses. Considering that many berries are cultivated in Eastern and Central Europe, we have chosen to have the virus analyses done in Bulgaria. We will naturally inform our customers in a timely manner about this new activity of Primoris when the time is right.

For laboratories, the amendments mean that they have to keep adjusting their research methods. “Of course, we keep a close eye on the legislation, because it is constantly changing. This then has to be changed and followed up in our system. There are currently a few molecules that are becoming prohibited, but another part is still in the pipeline. Sooner or later, those will possibly also become prohibited, and we can already bear that in mind.” The biggest change for the lab came in 2008, according to De Clercq. “That is when MRLs were harmonised on a European level.” A different point that is being given more attention is metabolites of residues. Besides the active substance, more metabolites (degradation products) are being included in the residue definition of a pesticide, and therefore also in the analyses package. For these can also have a toxic effect on the body. Both MRLs and residue definitions are regularly updated or amended in this regard in the legislation.

According to De Clercq, the synergetic effect of multiple residues will get more attention in the future. Nowadays residues are still considered separately. Various combinations of residues with similar working methods and which can strengthen each other are then examined. On a European level, they are now looking at how to deal with that. Should the residues be ‘added together’ and made into a sort of ‘group MRLs?’

De Clercq has noticed that no risks are being taken anymore, especially where public health is concerned. “The EU is becoming increasingly stricter regarding controls. We, as consumer, are becoming less equipped to deal with risks. In recent years, due to that extreme carefulness, a number of molecules ‘surfaced’ which were not being examined before, but are now being questioned. An example is chlorate. A lot of fuss was made about it when it was first found, even though this is not always necessary. Many controls and blockades then follow. Usually all hands are on deck in the lab to quickly perform the examinations.” According to De Clercq this is happening increasingly often. “Another example is perchlorate. Yet I also see more cases when people are dealing with it better and in a calmer manner. Often it is not even harmful to your health. The signal about new substances that need to be analysed often comes from Germany. This also has to do with the fact that German retail is very strict and that Greenpeace and consumer associations are very active. Glyphosate is also a residue that has currently come into disrepute. When Fytolab started 15 years ago, there was no demand from the market to analyse glyphosate, even though this was the herbicide most often used. It was generally accepted that toxicity was low, this was not questioned. Until recently new studies emerged that contradict this. Further research is being done on a European level. What therefore worries me is that we have to accept that we still have insufficient knowledge about pesticides that are used often, and that it is very difficult to have decent and objective information.”

“Nowadays we measure lower and lower. The lower you measure, the more likely that you will find something. The position of Primoris is to measure up to the limit asked for in legislation. Our mission is to support the market and our customers, and not to cause trouble where none is needed. Usually Europe determines the limit at 10 ppb (0.01 ppm), but some labs measure up to 5 ppb or even 1 ppb. It would be great if all labs use the same limit, to avoid confusion.”

Does the number of controls on Belgian and other European products not decrease in time, because of a decreasing trend in residues? “The number of overruns is decreasing, true, but controls still have to be done. The risk still exists, and the consequences of an overrun could be great. That pressure on our clients and the market remains very much present, which means the pressure for analyses will also remain. Organic and residue-free products should also be checked, to convince the market and to rule out dishonest practices.”

For more information:
Primoris Belgium CVBA
Technologiepark 2/3
9052 Zwijnaarde - Belgium
T: +32 (0)9 330 10 10
info@primoris-lab.com
www.primoris-lab.com