Withdrawal Of Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for 56 Agricultural Chemicals - Japan

Revision of the Standards and Specifications for Foods and Food Additives under the Food Sanitation Act (revision of agricultural chemical residue standards). Final date for comments: 6 October 2017

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan (MHLW) will withdraw all the maximum residue limits (MRLs) for the following 56 agriculturalchemicals due to lack of data.

The 56 agricultural chemicals are not registered or approved in Japan, and/or do not have any Codex MRLs. Some countries set MRLs for some of these chemicals, but the MHLW could not confirm sufficient data for risk assessment and MRL setting. Those MRLs were provisionally set without full risk assessment over ten years ago, and it is difficult to maintain those MRLs anymore unless sufficient data for risk assessment and MRL setting are provided. Therefore the MHLW has decided to delete all the MRLs for the 56 substances. Those substances have not been detected in any imported foods in Japan for the last five years according to monitoring data on agricultural chemicals residue conducted by the MHLW. Japan is of the view that the deletion of the MRLs is unlikely to have negative impact on the current international trade.

Pesticides:

2-(1-Naphthyl)acetamide, 2,2-DPA, Bensulide, Butroxydim, Carbetamide, Carbonyl sulphide, Chloroneb, Clodinafop acid, Cycloate, Endothal, Florasulam, Flupropanate, Furathiocarb, Imazamethabenz methyl ester, Metosulam, Naphthalophos, Oxabetrinil, Oxycarboxin, Pebulate, Phosphamidon, Pyrithiobac-sodium, Sec-Butylamine,Tebuthiuron, Terbutryn, Tolyfloxysulfuron

Pesticide/Veterinary drugs:

Azamethiphos, Phenothrin, Tetrachlorvinphos

Veterinary drugs:

Aliphatic alcohol ethoxylates, Aspoxicillin, Baquiloprim, Buquinolate, Cefacetrile, Famphur, Fenprostalene, Haloxon, Kitasamycin, Laidlomycin,Methylbenzoquate(Nequinate), Metoserpate hydrochloride, Novobiocin, Oxacillin, Polymyxine B, Sulfabenzamide, Sulfabromomethazine sodium, Sulfacetamide, Sulfaethoxypyridazine, Sulfaguanidine, Sulfamerazine, Sulfamethoxypyridazine, Sulfanilamide, Sulfanitran, Sulfapyridine, Sulfatroxazole, Temephos, Tripelennamine

[Source: http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2017/SPS/JPN/17_3526_00_e.pdf]