In the US, a new ruling has upped the residue levels of the insecticide methoxyfenozide that are now permissible on citrus fruit, peas and pomegranates at production, manufacturing and retail levels.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ruling is the result of a review of available scientific data, which followed an appeal by the chemical's producer Dow AgroSciences.
The maximum tolerance level for citrus fruit has been increased from two parts per million (ppm) to 10ppm, with levels for dry peas rising to 2.55ppm from 0.35ppm and a maximum residue level for pomegranates set at 0.6ppm.
In a summary, EPA said that the chemical was not acutely toxic and that there was a 'reasonable certainty' that that no harm would result from aggregate exposure to the pesticide chemical residue, including all dietary exposures.
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