New Zealand Food Safety calls for comment on MRLs

New Zealand Food Safety is inviting public comment on proposed changes to the Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) Food Notice.

MRLs are the maximum legal levels for residues of agricultural chemicals and veterinary medicines in food for sale in New Zealand. New MRLs are set as new products and uses are registered, and existing MRLs are adjusted as needed.

This ensures that residue levels remain as low as practicable without compromising the ability for the chemical to successfully do what is intended. Entries are also set and amended for compounds that do not require MRLs to manage residues in food.

Entries in the notice for MRLs and compounds for which MRLs do not apply are established for agricultural compounds to support food practice and manage food safety risks. MRLs may also be proposed to support the importation of food into New Zealand.

The food notice establishes MRLs for agricultural chemicals and veterinary medicines to manage residues that may occur in food in New Zealand. It also lists agricultural chemical and veterinary medicines for which no MRL applies.

For this consultation, New Zealand Food Safety is proposing 5 new or amended maximum residue levels in Schedule 1.

Full details are in the consultation document. Submissions close 5 pm on 13 November 2023 and are to be emailed to MaximumResidueLevels@mpi.govt.nz.

For each compound in the submissions, the following questions should be answered:

1. On balance, do you oppose any of the details of the proposals, such as setting an MRL for a particular commodity or species?
2. Do you oppose an MRL entry being established at all for this compound or for a commodity? If so, why do you oppose it?
3. If an MRL is to be set for this compound for the commodity, do you disagree with the levels or conditions proposed? If so, why do you disagree?

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