CIPC Contamination of Stores

Chlorpropham (CIPC) has been the sprout suppressant of choice for many years and remains the pesticide most frequently applied to stored potatoes. The 2017 review of CIPC was not completed and the European Commission has recommended the use of the compound is not renewed. The loss of CIPC is therefore a possibility. CIPC is retained in the fabric of buildings and persists in the flooring of stores many years after the final application, and there is the unintentional risk of cross contamination. If CIPC is no longer approved for use on stored potatoes, the maximum residue level (MRL) will become the limit of quantification (around 0.01 ppm). At this concentration MRL exceedances are likely in potatoes held in contaminated stores. Therefore experimental work is required to determine the likely CIPC residue concentration of potatoes in such stores, in a range of storage scenarios. Results would be used to inform regulators of risk, to allow the MRL to be set at a level that the industry can achieve.

To determine the potato residue concentration resulting from contamination of stores from previous CIPC use.

Stores with a history of CIPC used will be identified, and also those where potatoes are being stored but where the chemical is no longer being used. For each store the details of the store and storage history will be recorded to determine future storage plans. For the selected stores, covering a planned range of store temperatures, storage durations and time since the last CIPC application, samples for residue analysis will be taken.