The pomelo is a citrus fruit native to Southeast Asia. Chinese pomelos however, have been under heavy scrutiny for some time due to residue issues. The problems have put some strain on the coming season. Last season, many containers were discarded because of breached protocols.
The difficulties with the Maximum Residue Limits (MRL’s) started a while ago. A few years back several programs were implemented, in accordance with growers and exporters, to prevent complications, but these proved ineffective in some cases. Many distributors don’t seem to care, and reigning in unprofessional companies seems impossible. China in particular seems to be a problem here.
The regulation of pesticides in pomelo shipments has also led to heated debate. The EU has set the residue limit on 0.3 mg/kg. However, the method used to test the residue (the pomelos are thrown into a kind of centrifuge) is disputed.
Residue problems have so far led to distrust on the import market, leading in turn to decreasing import capacity.