THE CIPC Residues Monitoring Group (CRMG) submitted 102 residue data results from potato samples held in stores during 2023/24. The stores had been previously treated with CIPC (chlorpropham) at some time in their history.
These data were voluntarily submitted to the CRMG, on an anonymous basis, in answer to a request to the potato industry for information from the Health & Safety Executive to allow the suitability of the new temporary maximum residue level for CIPC to be assessed.
The graph shows a high number of residues (78) which are at or below the limit of detection (LoD, 0.01 mg/kg, denoted by the green symbols). There was one exceedance of the tMRL (red symbol).
The remaining 23 samples (blue symbols) were at a level which exceeded the LoD but not the temporary MRL (tMRL, 0.35 mg/kg). CRMG says these are the important samples to note as they represent data from stores where there is still sufficient CIPC present to exceed the LoD but the levels are comfortably within the tMRL. If the tMRL had not been put in place, the samples from the 22.5% of stores shown in blue would have resulted in exceedances.
It is important for industry to continue to supply monitoring data to retain the temporary MRL, CRMG has stressed. HSE will then continue to oversee this to ensure the tMRL is set at an appropriate level.
