Authorities have denied a crucial relaxation on residue laws which could see next year’s Indian grape season thrown into chaos once more.
The EU has confirmed it will not be changing the maximum residue levels (MRL) on the use of chlormequat and will be using “targeted surveillance measures” to crackdown on use of the product.
The EU Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (Residues section) met earlier this month to discuss an application submitted by the UK on behalf of the Indian government for a temporary MRL of 0.2 mg/kg to be set to account for follow-on residues arising from the use of chlormequat on Indian grapes in 2009.
It is estimated that the chlormequat chloride issue has cost the Indian grape industry around Rs2.5bn (£34.5 million).
The EU revised its import protocols in December 2009, and shipments of Indian grapes were stopped at European ports after traces of chlormequat, a grape sizing agent not prohibited in India, were found in them.
At the meeting, it was acknowledged that the data - setting out the results of 42 analyses carried out in 2010 - indicated that residues above the existing EU MRL could remain in vines not treated in the 2009 growth season.
But the committee concluded that the application was bsed “on the results of monitoring alone [and] did not provide a sufficient basis for setting an increased temporary MRL.
In reaching its conclusion, the committee noted that a sizeable proportion of last season’s imports were within the existing statutory MRL.
In a response to the Fresh Produce Consortium, Russell Wedgbury of the Chemicals Regulation Directorate said: “Taking account of the fact that available data on carry-over decline suggest that the residue may reduce by 90 per cent in one year, and assuming that steps have been taken to discontinue uses of chlormequat this year, the committee felt that, with appropriate quality control, produce exported from India in 2010/11 should be compliant with the existing MRL.
“If this proves to be the case the maintenance of the existing MRL would not prove an insurmountable barrier to Indian imports for the forthcoming season.
“I understand that this is disappointing news, but I am afraid there is now no prospect of any amendment to the MRL being agreed ahead of the forthcoming season’s importation.”
As such all produce imported into the EU will have to comply with the existing MRL of 0.05 mg/kg. There will be no repeat of the specific derogation from compliance with the MRL that was applied to stocks on the UK market when this issue arose last season.
Wedbury added: “We have emphasised to the Indian authorities the need to introduce appropriate quality control measures to ensure that all grapes exported from India to the UK and other parts of the European Union are fully compliant with the existing statutory MRL.
“However, given the findings from last year’s importation we will be putting together targeted surveillance measures in the form of a rapid turnaround monitoring survey. In addition, we would also expect importers to institute appropriate measures to ensure compliance.”
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