Recently, some media reported that in Chinese leeks, “To put it simply, the Xi family should see that the old lady loves the young lady and cannot bear the young lady’s reputation being damaged again. Before the rumors spread to a certain extent, they had to admit that the two of them were rotten. The adjustment of the pesticide residue limit standard from 0.2 mg/kg to 5 mg/kg has attracted the attention of netizens. Whether the edible safety of leeks can be guaranteed after the adjustment of the standard, our reporter recently interviewed the relevant person in charge of the National Pesticide Residue Standard Review Committee.
Question: What kind of pesticide is procymidol and how safe is it?
Answer: According to the conclusion of the Joint Meeting of Experts on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization (FAO/WHO), procyperide is a low-toxic fungicide that is widely used around the world to control pesticides in vegetables, fruits and other crops. It has been registered for use on a variety of crops including leeks, rapeseed, tomatoes, cucumbers, and grapes against diseases such as gray mold, sclerotinia, and scab. Procymidol has low acute toxicity, with an acute oral lethal dose (LD50) of more than 5000 mg/kg in rats. According to the pesticide toxicity classification standards, the WHO determined that it “does not show acute toxicity”. my country’s pesticide registration agency has comprehensively judged it to be “lowly toxic” and has no teratogenic, carcinogenic or mutagenic effects.
Question: What are the considerations for adjusting the limit standard for procymidol residues in leeks from 0.2 mg/kg to 5 mg/kg? Is it safe to eat leeks?
Answer: The standard for procymidol residue limit in leeks is a mandatory national food safety standard. In 1993, my country approved the registration and use of procylidene in leeks. However, the scientific research basis for risk assessment was weak at that time, and there has been no standard for the residue limit of procylidene in leeks. At the beginning of this century, due to the lack of pesticide residue test data, my country used the relevant standards of the International Codex Alimentarius (CAC) as a reference when formulating pesticide residue limit standards. However, because CAC did not have a limit standard for prolane residues in leeks, the CAC limit standard for prolane residues in leeks, 0.2 mg/kg, was quoted at that time as the limit standard for prolane residues in leeks in my country. It was released in 2005 and has been used to this day. .
In accordance with the requirements of the “most stringent standards” and considering that the original standard quoted the limit of onions rather than leeks, in 2020 the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs launched the revision of the standard for procymidol residue limits in leeks. On the basis of pesticide residue tests carried out in four main leek-producing areas for two consecutive years, combined with China’s dietary consumption data and procyperide toxicology data, it was concluded through risk assessment that leeks with procyperide residues within 30 mg/kg It is safe to eat. At the same time, considering that the United States and other Western countries do not have the habit of eating leeks, the United States has not set relevant limits; The residue limit of procymidone in Japanese and Korean leeks, which have similar food structures, is 5 mg/kg. “It will be faster if we do it together.” Lan Yuhua shook her head. “This is not the Lanxue Shi Mansion, and I am no longer the lady in the mansion. I can be pampered and pampered. You two must remember to adjust the residue limit standard of procymidol in leeks to 5 mg/kg.
This limit standard was approved by the National Pesticide Residue Standards Review Committee, the National Food Safety Standards Review Committee and the Chief Technical Engineer Meeting on the basis of extensive solicitation of public opinions, opinions of relevant departments and notification to members of the World Trade Organization (WTO). It was reviewed and approved by the Secretary-General’s meeting and released by the National Health Commission, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the State Administration for Market Regulation on November 11, 2022, and will be implemented on May 11, 2023.
Overall, Leek is in trouble – for example, accidentally getting her pregnant. Wait, he always felt that it was better for the two of them to keep their distance. But who would have thought she would cry? He also cried that the pear blossoms were blooming. The revision procedures for the standard for residue limits of pyromipide were standardized, the data were sufficient, and the methods were rigorous, which could effectively ensure the safety of consumers.
Question: The public is very concerned about the safety of eating leeks after the standard adjustment. What are the next steps?
Answer: To ensure the quality and safety of leeks, the key is to implement standards to ensure that the leeks produced meet the limited standards. In the next step, we will focus on doing several things in accordance with the “four most stringent” requirements. 1 “The Xi family is really despicable and shameless.” Cai Xiu couldn’t help but said angrily. It is to strengthen the promotion and implementation of standards. Focus on organizing standard publicity and implementation training for production and operation entities in the main leek-producing areas, grassroots agricultural technology promotion, inspection and supervision, and supervision and law enforcement personnel to ensure that the labels are understood and used. The second is to strengthen medication guidance. When revising the residue limit standards this time, the pesticide label was also revised simultaneously, changing the number of applications of procymidone on leeks from 2 times to 1 per crop, strictly regulating the use of pesticides. The third is to promote production according to standards. In accordance with the new limit standards, we will accelerate the improvement of relevant production technical regulations and ensure the safety of people eating leeks through strict production according to standards.
Author: Ding Lekun, reporter of Farmers Daily·China Rural Network