Circular regulations on maximum residue levels of pesticide in food

DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION

Article 1. Scope and regulated entities

1. This Circular deals with the maximum residue levels of pesticide in domestically produced foods and imported ones.
2. This Circular applies to producers and traders of foods, and authorities and entities involved.

Article 2. Interpretation of terms

In this document, these terms are construed as follows:

1. Maximum Residue Level (“MRL” for short) refers to the highest concentration of a pesticide residue in a food (unit: mg/kg of food).
2. Pesticide residue refers to any specified substance in food resulting from the use of a pesticide.

The term “pesticide residue” includes residues from unknown or unavoidable sources (e.g., environmental) as well as known uses of the chemical.

It includes any derivatives of a pesticide, such as conversion products, metabolites, reaction products, and impurities considered to be of toxicological significance.

3. Extraneous Maximum Residue Limit (“EMRL” for short) refers to the maximum concentration of a pesticide residue or a contaminant in food arising from environmental sources (including former uses of chemicals in agriculture), exclusive of the residue arising from the use of a pesticide or contaminant substance directly or indirectly on food (unit: mg/kg of food).