New EU rules set 'lowest possible' pesticide residues in food

New common rules on the use of pesticides aimed at beefing up food safety across the 27 EU member states came into force yesterday.

European Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou said the new rules represent a milestone in the efforts to ensure that food in Europe is safe.

"The rules apply the principle that food produced or imported in one member state must be safe for consumers in all of them. They ensure that pesticide residue in food is as low as possible and has no harmful effect on our citizens," she said.

The rules set new harmonised Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) for pesticides and replace 27 national rules regulating the use of pesticides in crop cultivation. Consumers are exposed to pesticides because small quantities remain in harvested crops as residue.

The amount of residue must correspond to the lowest amount of pesticide used on the crop to achieve the desired results. A maximum residue level (MRL) is the highest possible level of a pesticide that is legally tolerated in food and in feed.

"The situation until yesterday led to confusion about which MRL was applicable," the Commission said in a statement.

"It made the life of traders and importers difficult and gave rise to questions from consumers, particularly in cases where food exceeding the defined MRL in one member state was acceptable in other member states."

The rules will now ensure food safety and allow traders and importers to conduct business smoothly as confusion over dealing with 27 lists of national MRLs is eliminated.