After the review and approval of the National Pesticide Residue Standard Review Committee, the National Food Safety Standard Review Committee Technical Chief Engineer Meeting and the Secretary-General Meeting, from May 5 this year, China's mandatory national food safety standard for the residue limit of putrefaction in leeks has been adjusted from 11.0 mg/kg to 2 mg/kg, which is equivalent to the "relaxation" of the standard. This move has aroused the attention of netizens: can the safety of leeks be guaranteed after the standard adjustment? In this regard, the relevant person in charge of the National Pesticide Residue Standard Review Committee responded to this.

The person in charge said that Rotini is a low-toxicity fungicide, which is widely used worldwide to control gray mold, sclerotinia and black star disease of vegetables, fruits and other crops, and is registered for use on leeks, rape, tomatoes, cucumbers, grapes and other crops. The acute oral semi-lethal dose (LD50) of rats was greater than 5000 mg/kg, and according to the pesticide toxicity grading standards, WHO judged that "acute toxicity was not shown". China's pesticide registration agency comprehensively judged to be "low toxicity", no teratogenic, carcinogenic and mutagenic effects.

According to the reporter of Beijing Youth Daily, China approved the registration and use of putrefaction on leeks in 1993, and determined the standard of 2005.0 mg / kg of residue limit in 2, so why should it be modified now? It is understood that when China approved the registration and use of Putrefaction on leeks in 1993, the scientific research foundation for risk assessment was still weak, and the limit standard for the residue of Putrefactive in leeks had not been formulated. At the beginning of this century, due to the lack of pesticide residue test data, China took the relevant standards of the Codex Alimentarius (CAC) as a reference when formulating pesticide residue limit standards. However, because CAC did not have a limit standard for the residue of putrefus in leeks, the limit standard of 0.2 mg/kg of putrefactive residue in CAC onions was cited as the limit standard for the residue of putrefactive in leeks in China, and it was released in 2005 and has been used since then.

The person in charge introduced that according to the requirements of the "most rigorous standard", considering that the original standard cited the limit of onions instead of leeks, in 2020, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs launched the revision of the limit of putrefactive mold residue in leeks. On the basis of pesticide residue tests carried out in four major leek producing areas for two consecutive years, combined with China's dietary consumption data and humus toxicological data, after risk assessment, it was concluded that leeks with a residue of putrefaction within 30 mg/kg were safe to eat. At the same time, considering that the United States and other Western countries do not have the habit of eating leeks, the United States has not formulated relevant limits; The residue limit of Putrefactive in Japanese and Korean leeks with similar dietary structure in China was 5 mg/kg, and the residual limit standard of Humus in leeks was adjusted to 5 mg/kg.

On the basis of extensive solicitation of public opinions, opinions of relevant departments and notification to World Trade Organization (WTO) members, the limit standard was reviewed and approved by the National Pesticide Residue Standards Review Committee, the National Food Safety Standards Review Committee Technical Chief Meeting and the Secretary-General Meeting, and was issued by the National Health Commission, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the State Administration for Market Regulation on November 2022, 11, and will be implemented from May 11, 2023.

Regarding the safety of edible leeks after the standard adjustment, the person in charge said that in general, the revision procedure of the standard for the limit of putrefactive residue in leeks is standardized, the data is sufficient, and the method is rigorous, which can effectively ensure the safety of consumers. For ensuring the quality and safety of leeks, the key is to implement the standards to ensure that the leeks produced meet the limit standards. When revising the residue limit standard, the pesticide label was also revised at the same time, and the number of times each stubble of Putrefus on leeks was changed from two to once, so as to strengthen medication guidance and strictly standardize medication behavior. Through strict production according to standards, ensure the safety of leeks consumed by the people. Text/Reporter Zhang Qin