Reasoned opinion on the modification of the existing MRLs for ethephon in table olive and table grape

• Main Author: European Food Safety Authority
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2014-05-01
• Series: EFSA Journal
• Subjects: ethephon; table grape; table olive; MRL application; Regulation (EC) No 396/2005; consumer risk assessment; plant growth regulator
• Online Access: http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/doc/3698.pdf

In accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, France, hereafter referred to as the evaluating Member State (EMS), received an application from Bayer CropScience to modify the existing MRLs for the active substance ethephon in table grape and table olive. In order to accommodate for the intended uses of ethephon, France proposed to raise the existing MRLs from 0.7 mg/kg to 1.5 mg/kg for table grape and from 5 mg/kg to 7 mg/kg for table olive. France drafted an evaluation report in accordance with Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, which was submitted to the European Commission and forwarded to EFSA. According to EFSA the data are sufficient to derive MRL proposals of 1.5 mg/kg for the proposed use on table grape and 7 mg/kg for the proposed use table olive. Adequate analytical enforcement methods are available to control the residues of ethephon in the commodities under consideration at the validated LOQ of 0.05 mg/kg. Based on the risk assessment results, EFSA concludes that the proposed use of ethephon on table grape and table olives will not result in a consumer exposure exceeding the toxicological reference values and therefore is unlikely to pose a consumer health risk.