Japan Revises Maximum Residue Limits for 47 Pesticides and Veterinary Drugs

Japan announced to revise 47 pesticide and veterinary drug residue standards, but the MRLs for seven pesticides have a one-year transition period. Gentian violet test method is added, and the matters needing attention of the analysis object compounds are explained in detail.

On Dec. 17, 2021, Japan MHLW released the amendment to "Standards and criteria for food and food additives, etc. ", which mainly revised the residue limits of 47 pesticides and veterinary drugs, and added the test method for gentian violet. The amendment came into effect immediately after the promulgation.

The 47 pesticides with amended residue limits are as follows. However, the revisions of seven pesticides (marked in red) are subject to a one-year transition period. The previous provisions on the maximum residue limits (MRLs) still apply to the seven pesticides during the period.

MCPA	Cyazofamid	Picarbutrazox	Hexythiazox
MCPB	Cyenopyrafen	Pyraziflumid	Benzovindiflupyr
Acynonapyr	Cyclaniliprole	Pyriofenone	Benthiavalicarb-isopropyl
Amisulbrom	2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid	Pyroxasulfone	Fosthiazate
Ametoctradin	Cyflufenamid	Fenpicoxamid	Mandipropamid
Imazapyr	Diflubenzuron	Fenhexamid	Mandestrobin
Etoxazole	Cyflumetofen	Fluoxastrobin	Mesotrione
Oxathiapiprolin	Dimethenamid	Fluxametamide	Metaflumizone
Kasugamycin	Spinetoram	Flutianil	Metyltetraprole
Glyphosate	Spinosad	Flutolanil	Metrafenone
Chlorantraniliprole	Zoxamide	Broflanilide	Mefentrifluconazole
Chlorfluazuron	Tetraniliprole	Prohexadione-calcium

It is noteworthy that the MRLs for some pesticides have been dramatically tightened. For example, the MRL of “2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic Acid” in the seafood (including shellfish, crustaceans., etc.) and apricots are 100 times lower than before. However, the "Metaflumizone" in cauliflower is increased from 0.01 ppm to 3 ppm. (Feel free to contact ChemLinked if you need translation service for the complete limit changes)

In addition, the amendment also added gentian violet test method for gentian violet and its metabolite, leuco crystal violet, which is the same as the "malachite green test method". The detection limit is 0.002 ppm each. Food categories that being studied during the development of the test method include beef muscle, beef fat, beef liver, loach, catfish, eel, shijimi, salmon and shrimp.