Freshfel Europe welcomes EU MRL harmonisation

Last Monday, EU Regulation 396/2005/EC, fixing pan-EU harmonised maximum pesticide residue levels (MRLs) in or on fruits and vegetables fully entered into force. Frederic Rosseneu, Freshfel’s Food Safety Adviser, underlined the importance of the harmonisation: “The 1st of September 2008 marks a milestone in the European fresh produce trade, as more than 15 years after the introduction of the single market, the myriad of MRLs applicable across the entire EU and their constant modification finally belong to the past.”

The harmonisation exercise and the scientific assessments behind the work by EFSA, provide an excellent opportunity for food policy authorities to restore their credibility following numerous derogatory NGO campaigns. Too often consumers wrongly assume that their health is at risk because they misconstrue MRLs as safety standards that are set to protect their health, while in fact MRLs are trading standards. Freshfel has been coordinating numerous efforts with other food chain partners to initiate and improve public communication on the sensitive issue of pesticide residues.

Freshfel particularly welcomes the EU Commission’s communication tools launched parallel with the entry into force of the MRL-harmonisation. Besides a re-vamped website and a fact-sheet, a user-friendly online database has been developed providing much needed transparency both to industry and consumers.

Freshfel is hopeful that the EU MRL-harmonisation will enable to increase consumer confidence in the safety rules adopted by legislation and further stimulate consumption of fresh fruit and vegetables given the overwhelming health benefits a diet rich in fruits and vegetables brings and its role in combating obesity and related disorders such as cardiovascular diseases, liver diseases, ... Today, the consumption of fresh produce is at best stagnating and in most Member States, the consumption is below the minimum WHO recommendation of 400 gr per day.

A transition period has been foreseen to ensure all crops which have been treated before 1 September can still legally be sold on the market after that date. Nevertheless Freshfel is aware that this important piece of legislation will give rise to a significant amount of questions, which will hopefully be answered by the EU Commission services in a comprehensive question and answer sheet during the course of September.

The EU Commission’s website on pesticide residues and the online database are available at http://ec.europa.eu/food/index_en.htm , more information is also available from the Fresh Quality guide at www.freshquality.org.

Publication date: 9/5/2008