Modification of the existing MRL for lambda-cyhalothrin in currants

The United Kingdom as an Evaluating Member State (EMS) received an application from the Horticultural Development Council on the modification of the existing MRL for lambdacyhalothrin in currant (red, black and white). On 26 September 2008, according to Article 9 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, the Evaluation Report prepared by the EMS on this subject was submitted to the European Commission and forwarded to EFSA. The current MRL for lambda-cyhalothrin in currants (black, red and white) is set at 0.1 mg/kg. The applicant proposed to raise the MRLs for all these berries to 0.2 mg/kg. EFSA derived the following conclusions regarding the application, based on the Evaluation Report and the DAR of the Rapporteur Member State Sweden in the framework of the peer review: The toxicological profile of the active substance was investigated under the peer review and data were sufficient to conclude on an ADI value of 0.005 mg/kg bw/d, and an ARfD value of 0.0075 mg/kg bw/d. The metabolism of lambda-cyhalothrin was sufficiently elucidated covering four crop groups and metabolism in all plant commodities was demonstrated to be similar. Definition of the relevant residue for all plant commodities was defined as the parent compound only. Adequate analytical enforcement methods are available for the determination of lambdacyhalothrin in high acid content commodities which berries belong to. Submitted supervised field trials support the intended GAP and are sufficient to propose an MRL of 0.2 mg/kg for lambda-cyhalothrin in black, red and white currant. The consumer risk assessment is performed with the EFSA PRIMo-rev. 2, using the existing MRLs as established in Annex II and Annex IIIB of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 as well as the HR and STMR values derived for the intended use on blackcurrant. In addition, EFSA looked for the relevant information in evaluation reports submitted to EC for the MRL proposals during 2000-2008 and used the available STMR values of various commodities in the chronic consumer intake calculations. No acute intake concerns were identified with regard to the black, red and white currants. The chronic consumer risk assessment revealed chronic intake concerns for NL child diet, representing 108% of the ADI. The main contributors are products of animal origin (milk and cream, swine, bovine). EFSA could not perform refined calculations with regard to animal commodities, since no information is available on STMR values for these products. The MRLs for animal origin products were endorsed with Directive 1994/29/EC. It should be noted that the use of existing MRL values in the intake calculation overestimates the actual consumer exposure. The commodities for which the MRL is set at the lowest LOQ of 0.02 mg/kg, contributes for up to 6% of the overall exposure, meaning that the actual exposure represents approximately 100% of the ADI. The contribution of currants in the chronic intake assessment is 0.2% of the ADI. Since the ADI was exceeded in the chronic consumer risk assessment, the proposed MRL for currants can be acceptable if further data are made available to refine the intake calculations ensuring that the consumer exposure is less than 100% of the ADI. As an alternative risk management option the deletion of an existing MRL might be considered, provided that deletion results in a chronic consumer intake below 100% of the ADI. Regarding the risk assessment of current MRLs for lambda-cyhalothrin, they will be subject to a full risk assessment according to Article 12 (2) of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 by 2 September, 2009.