Wholesalers are being urged to ensure they are ready to comply with the upcoming changes in pesticide use within the EU, warned Nigel Jenney, chief executive of the Fresh Produce Consortium.
He told delegates at the FPC Wholesale Division's annual conferenc a review was currently being conducted on the maximum pesticide residue levels, and as a result it was likely to see the number of actives allowed for use in production slashed by around two thirds to 200.
"This legislation is far reaching and impacting. The government is monitoring MRLs and pursuing a name and shame policy which is published publically every three months."
He said the main source of concern was that exporters into the EU and the UK were unaware of the changes. While the FPC is writing to the embassies of the exporting countries, he urged the wholesale section to ensure the message was carried through to their suppliers.
"We need the industry to be encouraging their suppliers to be aware of this, we don't want individual company names appearing in that name and shame list," he added.
Brian Daykin, chairman of the FPC Wholesale division, said: "While sometimes people cannot be sure whether the product conforms or not, those that make a conscious choice to bring that product in do so in the full knowledge that they are playing with fire."
The FPC does have codes of practice to aid wholesalers to ensure their produce is conforming, said Jenney, but the consortium could not make people follow the code.
He said: "The code can help people ensure they are doing all they can. We can't force people to follow them, but those that don't run a significant risk."
The code provides the guidelines and advice which allows companies to be compliant and also a standard form to pass onto suppliers to ensure they are supplying the correct produce.
Daykin told the meeting it was not up to the FPC to ferret out those who deliberately ignored the legislation: "That's for the government agencies to do. It's important that we are providing the right facilities that the industry needs."
