maximum residue limitとは 意味・読み方・使い方

Pesticide residues on crops are monitored with reference to Maximum Residue Limits (MRL) and are based on analysis of quantity of a given AI remaining on food product samples. The MRL is usually determined by measurement, following a number (in the order of 10) of field trials, where the crop has been treated according to good agricultural practice (GAP) and an appropriate pre harvest interval (see section C5) has elapsed. For many pesticides, however, this is set at the Limit of Determination (LOD) – since only major crops have been evaluated and understanding of Acceptable daily intake (ADI) is incomplete (i.e. producers or public bodies have not submitted MRL data – often because these were not required in the past). LOD can be considered a measure of presence/absence, but true resides may not be quantifiable at very low levels. For this reason the limit of quantification (LOQ) is often quoted in preference (and as a rule of thumb is usually approximately 2X the LOD). For substances that are not included in any of the annexes in EU regulations, a default MRL of 0.01 mg/kg normally applies.