Modification of the temporary maximum residue levels for mepiquat in cultivated fungi and oyster mushrooms

• Published in: EFSA journal Vol. 22; no. 1; pp. e8476 - n/a
• Main Authors: Bellisai, Giulia, Bernasconi, Giovanni, Cabrera, Luis Carrasco, Castellan, Irene, Aguila, Monica, Ferreira, Lucien, Santonja, German Giner, Greco, Luna, Jarrah, Samira, Leuschner, Renata, Miron, Ileana, Nave, Stefanie, Pedersen, Ragnor, Reich, Hermine, Ruocco, Silvia, Santos, Miguel, Scarlato, Alessia Pia, Szot, Marta, Theobald, Anne, Tiramani, Manuela, Verani, Alessia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.01.2024; John Wiley and Sons Inc; Wiley
• Subjects: Agricultural practices; Analytical methods; Chloride; Compliance; consumer risk assessment; Crops; cultivated fungi; Cultivation; Enforcement; Food; Food contamination; Fungi; Management decisions; Mepiquat chloride; Monitoring; MRL; Mushrooms; Operators; oyster mushrooms; pesticide; Reasoned Opinion; Residues; Risk assessment; Risk management; cultivated fungi; consumer risk assessment; MRL; pesticide; Mepiquat chloride; oyster mushrooms
• ISSN: 1831-4732; 1831-4732
• DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2024.8476

In accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, the applicant BASF SE submitted a request to the competent national authority in Finland to modify the temporary maximum residue level (MRL) to a permanent MRL for the active substance mepiquat in cultivated fungi (with a specific MRL for oyster mushrooms). The data submitted in support of the request (monitoring data from food business operators) are not sufficient to derive permanent MRL proposals. The assessment of these data, complemented by an analysis of the most recent monitoring data available from EU monitoring programmes, supports the conclusion that the existing t‐MRL for cultivated fungi is still sufficient to account for the residue uptake in cultivated mushrooms other than oyster mushrooms. It was also noted that lower t‐MRLs could be derived based on the assessment of the most recent monitoring data. A risk management decision is still needed on whether to maintain the existing t‐MRL value. Regarding oyster mushrooms, EFSA derived different options for risk managers to eventually update the values of the temporary MRLs based on the most recent monitoring data from food business operators. Adequate analytical methods for enforcement are available to control the residues of mepiquat (expressed as mepiquat chloride) in the commodities under consideration at the validated limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.01 mg/kg. Based on the risk assessment results, EFSA concluded that the short‐term and long‐term intake of residues resulting from the cross‐contamination of untreated cultivated fungi (including oyster mushrooms) from cereal straw lawfully treated with mepiquat according to the current agricultural practices is unlikely to present a risk to consumer health.