In November 2023, EFSA issued guidance on the assessment of pesticide residues in rotational crop studies. This guidance addresses the critical need to regulate pesticide residues in rotational crops, maintaining a high level of consumer protection.
The previous EU Guidance Document (European Commission, 1997) has become mostly obsolete, necessitating updated guidelines to provide a comprehensive overview on the provisions currently applicable in the EU. The present EFSA guidance builds upon and complements the OECD Test Guidelines (502 and 504) and OECD guidance document (OECD, 2018).
EFSA new guidance provides advice on data requirements, study design, interpretation, and assessment methodologies for metabolism and magnitude of residue studies in rotational crops.
These methodologies are crucial in view of deriving input values for dietary risk for consumers and calculating dietary burden for livestock.
A notable addition to the EFSA guidance is the introduction of the PRonTo (Pesticide Rotational Crop Assessment) Excel-based Tool, which simplifies the assessment process by offering calculation support for setting up and evaluating rotational crop studies.
The guidance also provides practical examples to illustrate the risk assessment process and develop options for risk mitigation measures, including setting residue definitions and Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) for rotational crops.
For further advice, our residue chemistry experts are here to help you, please contact us on contact@staphyt.com