In August of this year the FPC published a paper that explained the implications of the EC review of pesticides and Maximum Residue Levels.

This paper was circulated to the commercial attachés in the London embassies of all the countries exporting to the UK.

One of the concerns raised in this paper related to overseas producers that use pesticides which leave residues that are higher than those specified in the EC legislation. In these circumstances an Import Tolerance (an MRL by another name) may be applied for.

At the time the paper was published the conditions that would have to be fulfilled to obtain an Import Tolerance were not yet known, but they were anticipated.

As a result importers were advised not to rely on the successful establishment of an Import Tolerance unless they had sound reasons for so doing.

The Pesticide Safety Directorate has now published the application procedures and conditions relating to Import Tolerances.

We can now confirm that our analysis of the situation together with the conclusions we drew and recommended courses of action were sound.

We wish to stress once again that all businesses should follow the recommended courses of action that we have laid out.

DOUG’S RETIREMENT

This evening (Friday) we will be celebrating the outstanding contribution to the UK fruit and vegetable industry made by Doug Henderson MBE during his 10 years as chief executive of the Fresh Produce Consortium.

We are grateful to him for charting a steady course for the organisation and the industry through many issues, incidents and crises over that decade. We wish him well for his retirement.