Chlorate and perchlorate regulation proposals

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is currently reviewing the maximum residue levels (MRLs) for chlorate and perchlorate in fresh produce.

In order to help inform a UK position on the proposed changes, AHDB are urgently seeking data from the horticulture and potato industry in the UK.

It is vital that EFSA gets a proper balance of chlorate and perchlorate fresh produce data from across EU countries to ensure the models used to set the MRLs reflect reality.

AHDB are seeking chlorate data from edible fresh produce from the 2016-2018 growing seasons to try to ensure that MRLs from the UK industry are considered in the deliberations. 

The EU Commission consultation on perchlorate MRLs is currently open, and the proposed levels can be found here. Growers, producers and processors are encouraged to respond with comments on the proposals as well as their perchlorate data levels.

AHDB will collate and anonymise all chlorate and perchlorate data received prior to submission to EFSA and the Food Standards Agency (FSA). Any data and comments received will be treated as commercial in confidence.

Chlorinated products are also used to disinfect crop harvesting and produce-processing equipment and surfaces to ensure that food is safe to eat.

The deadline for responses to the perchlorate consultation is Friday 26 October. Chlorate data will need to be submitted to AHDB by Friday 23 November 2018.

Along with your data reports, please submit background details about the collection of the data by downloading this form and send to becky.turner@ahdb.org.uk