MRLs from monitoring data: Regulation (EU) 2026/1314 — 1,4-dimethylnaphthalene 0.03 mg/kg (99th percentile), chlormequat 2 mg/kg in oyster mushrooms and 0.6 mg/kg in cultivated fungi; two residue definitions for metribuzin, including DADK-metribuzin
Commission Regulation (EU) 2026/1314 of 15 June 2026, published on 16 June, amends Annexes II, III and V to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 for 1,4-dimethylnaphthalene, chlormequat, metribuzin, DADK-metribuzin, terbuthylazine and triclopyr. It applies from 6 January 2027; products placed on the market earlier remain subject to the previous rules.
- 1,4-dimethylnaphthalene can occur naturally in some plants. Temporary MRLs of 0.05 mg/kg for plant products (except potatoes) applied until 2 August 2024; newer monitoring data from EFSA and food business operators showed residues above the limit of quantification, so temporary MRLs of 0.03 mg/kg — the 99th percentile of all results — were set, to be reviewed after seven years.
- Chlormequat is transferred to untreated cultivated fungi from straw treated with it. The previous 6 mg/kg (oyster mushrooms) and 0.9 mg/kg (cultivated fungi) are replaced by temporary MRLs of 2 mg/kg and 0.6 mg/kg — the 95th and 97.5th percentiles of the results — also to be reviewed after seven years. Based on EFSA opinions, the chlormequat MRLs for milk and for poultry muscle and fat were lowered.
- Metribuzin is no longer approved (since 24 November 2024), so its MRLs were lowered to the limits of quantification and moved to Annex V. In line with the EFSA peer review conclusions, plant products have two separate residue definitions — “metribuzin” and its metabolite “desamino-diketo-metribuzin (DADK-metribuzin)”.
- The EU reference laboratories for pesticide residues proposed analytically achievable limits of quantification. For terbuthylazine, confirmatory data closed the data gaps (sweet corn, sunflower seeds, products from cattle and equine animals); for triclopyr, the gaps for apples, pears and peaches; new triclopyr MRLs were also set for tissues and milk of pigs, cattle, sheep and goats.