EU to double controls on Turkish lemons

Beginning on 1 January 2017, lemons exported from Turkey into the European Union will undergo increased screening at the frontier to check whether they strictly fulfill European legislation in terms of pesticide residue levels.

The minimum screening percentage will remain at 10% of the lots imported into the European Union until 31 December 2016, after which the European Commission has decided to ramp up these checks from 10% to 20%, which includes, in all cases, laboratory analysis, since Turkish lemons are considered to be a product at risk in accordance with Regulation (EC) No. 669/2009.

Additionally, the EU has acknowledged that since the start of the campaign in September, the EU's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) had 8 notified health alerts following the detection of 8 batches of Turkish lemons with chlorpyrifos present in concentrations that doubled the currently valid MRL (Maximum Residue Limit) established in the EU.

AILIMPO's Assessment.

The Spanish lemon and grapefruit inter-professional organization, AILIMPO (Asociación Interprofesional de Limón y Pomelo) has expressed its satisfaction with the EU decision and underscores that “the EU's official decision to double controls on Turkish lemons confirms the existence of the serious management issues facing the Turkish sector, which has proven to be incapable of providing European clients with food safety guarantees”. AILIMPO also adds that “this situation should no doubt be considered by European clients when planning their lemon supply schedules from Turkey in the coming months”.

José Antonio García
AILIMPO
Tel : +34 968 216619
Fax : +34 968 220947
director@ailimpo.com
www.ailimpo.com

Publication date: Mon 2 Jan 2017