Analysis of the maximum residue limits of pesticides in fruits according to GB 2763—2021

Abstract: Pesticide residue is an important factor affecting the quality and safety of fruit, and its maximum residue limit (MRL) is an important technical means to evaluate the quality and safety of fruit and implement quality and safety supervision.“National Food Safety Standard-Maximum Residue Limits of Pesticides in Foods”(GB 2763) is a mandatory national standard in China that uniformly stipulates the maximum residue limits of pesticides in foods (fruits are complied with). This paper focused on the development history of pesticide residue limit standards in China analyzed the current situation of pesticide residue limit standards in fruits in my country, clarified the types of pesticides and the basic situation of the maximum residue limits for fruits stipulated in GB 2763—2021, and compared the pesticideresidue limit standards in fruits, in order to provide a basis for the formulation and revision of the limit standards for pollutants in fruits in my country, and provide technical support for scientific guidance on the safe use of pesticides in fruit production. The previous versions of GB 2763 included GB 2763— 1981, GB 2763—2005, GB 2763—2012, GB 2763—2014, GB 2763—2016 [including the supplementary version“National Food Safety Standard for Maximum Residue Limits of 43 Pesticides Including Paraquat in Foods”(GB 2763.1—2018)], GB 2763—2019 and GB 2763—2021. The promulgation of GB 2763—2021 has achieved a historic leap in the construction of China’s national pesticide residue standards system. The number of pesticide residue limits in food stipulated by my country has exceeded 10, 000 for the first time, and the number of pesticide types and limit standards has reached the International Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) nearly twice that of the relevant standards, and the number of pesticide varieties and residue limit standards in fruits has also greatly increased. 2768 MRLs for 326 pesticides in fruits were formulated in GB 2763—2021. According to the pesticide use specification, there were 277 conventional pesticides (2417 MRLs), such as 2,4-D and 2,4-D sodium salt, abamectin and fenflurone, which were allowed to be used, accounting for 85.0% of the total number of pesticide varieties with MRL in fruits (MRL accounted for 87.3% of the total number of MRL in fruits); 29 banned pesticides (195 MRLs), such as 666, DDTand toxaphene, were banned in my country, accounting for the current 64.4% of the banned pesticides (MRL accounted for 7.0% of the total number of MRL in fruits); there were 20 restricted pesticides such as carbocarb, omethoate, methomyl, etc. (156 MRLs), accounting for the current 71.4% of the restricted pesticides (MRL accounted for 5.7% of the total number of MRL infruits). By fruit category, the most types of pesticides with MRL for pome fruit (246 pesticides, 432 MRLs), berries and other small fruits (245 pesticides, 521 MRLs)and citrus fruits (217 pesticides, 534 MRLs), followed by melons and fruits (196 pesticides, 234 MRLs), stone fruits (193 pesticides, 374 MRLs) and tropical and subtropical fruits (188 pesticides, 377 MRLs), while there were relatively few pesticides with residue limit standards in dried fruits (123 pesticides, 152 MRLs) and nuts (118 pesticides, 148 MRLs). In terms of pesticide use, the insecticides (122 pesticides, 1117 MRLs) and fungicides (113 pesticides, 1011 MRLs) with MRLs were the most, followed by herbicides (42 pesticides, 259 MRLs), acaricides (25 pesticides, 246 MRLs), and plant growth regulators again (9 pesticides, 47 MRLs). In addition, insecticides/acaricides (5 pesticides, 42 MRLs), nematicides (3 pesticides, 12 MRLs), fumigants (2 pesticides, 10 MRLs), synergists (1 pesticide, 3 MRLs), molluscicide (1 pesticide, 2 MRLs), moluskocdy dict (1 pesticide, 3 MRLs), insecticides/herbicides (1 pesticide, 8 MRLs), acaricides/fungicides (1 pesticide, 8 MRLs) were less. Compared with the previous version, GB 2763—2021 has been revised in terms of pesticide types, limit standards, residue definitions, ADI values, and supporting testing methods. In GB 2763—2021, 62 new pesticides were added such as patophos and phenoxycarb, and 722 maximum residue limits were worked out in fruits, the definitions of 9 pesticide residues were revised including fluazifop and fluazifop- P- butyl, Jinggangmycin, spirotetramat, cyazofamid, zincthiazole and triadimefon, and the allowable daily intake (ADI) of four pesticides was revised including quizalofop- ethyl, quizalofop- P- ethyl, fenpropimorph and teflubenzuron. 3 fruit names were added including cantaloupe eggplant, dried citrus and dried apple, and the names of 3 fruits were revised including berries and other small fruits, tropical and subtropical fruits, mango, and the food category of wolfberry (dried) was adjusted from dried fruit to the flowers and fruits of medicinal plants. 51 MRLs of 13 pesticides were modified including benomyl, diafenthiuron, boscalid from temporary limit to formal limit, and the MRL of quizalofop- ethyl and quizalofop- P- ethyl in watermelon from the formal limit to the temporary limit, and the values of 54 MRLs for 16 pesticides were adjusted including dimethoate, dicofol, dimethoate, methyl bromide, prothioconazole, prosenzinc, disenzinc, car-bendazim, fumezinc, cyhalothrin, beta-cyhalothrin in citrus, tangerine, orange and other fruits, and the quantification limit levels of the detection methods of the banned pesticides were formulated such as dicofol, chlorfenaphos, endosulfan and methyl bromide, as well as the restricted pesticides such as dimethoate and acephate as the maximum residue limit value, and the limits of some banned and restricted pesticides for a single fruit were revised to the limits of major groups of fruits. Four supporting pesticide residue testing methods were added including GB 23200.116, GB 23200.117, SN/T 4066, SN/T 4591, SN/T 0654 was modified, and GB/T 5009.110 was deleted. Anyhow, the maximum residue limits for pesticides in fruits in my country, covered a large number of pesticide varieties and a large number of MRL, manifesting the“four strictest”requirements, and the standard formulation was more scientific, rigorous and in line with international standards, the definition of pesticide residue monitoring and the ADI value were more scientific and perfect to support detection methods, etc., and the supporting detection method was more perfect, which was more conducive to the safe use and supervision of pesticides in fruit production, and can promote the improvement of fruit quality and safety level.