Pesticide residues fresh produce

All imported products must comply with EU legislation. Therefore, as a quality manager of a fresh produce trading company, you must include pesticide residues in the hazard inventory and risk analysis. But you must also draw up control measures and arrange, record and have the implementation of those measures monitored. This also includes taking samples and having residue analyses carried out.

Ultimately, based on EU legislation and specific standards from retail, you can then decide whether you can legally sell the product and to which countries.

To comply with EU legislation, we can support you in various matters:

• Sampling or on-site collection in the Netherlands and Belgium

• Residue analysis of screening LC-MSMS and GC-MSMS, a package of about 750 pesticides

• Additional analyses such as: Chlormequat, Mepiquat, Diquat, Paraquat, Glyphosate, Dithiocarbamates, Thyleenthiourea and Propylenthioarea, Ethephon, Amines, Perchlorate, Chlorate, Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (DDAC/BAC), Bromide, Nitrate, Nitrite, Phosetyl-A1 and Phosphoric Acid, Maleine Hydrazide, Sulphur, Anthraquinone, Matrine, Prohexadione and heavy metals

• Reporting according to MRLs (Maximum Residue Limit for the EU or other countries)

• Reporting of ARfD (Acute Reference Dose: is used substance toxic when used directly?)

• Reporting from about 20 Retailers from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria, the UK and Switzerland

• MRL advice: following the studies conducted, analysis on which pesticides cause an ML exceedance and may need to be removed from the spraylist, and replaced by pesticides with the same effect but with a less stringent MRL. Workshop and Masterclass Residues of crop protection products. Twice a year, Normec Foodcare organises a workshop (afternoon) and a Masterclass (5 afternoons) covering all facets of cultivation, legislation, analytical methods and risk assessment.