The Vietnam SPS Office recently sent a dispatch to the Plant Protection Department, the Department of Animal Health (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development), the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, and the Vietnam Beekeeping Association regarding the EU seeking WTO members' opinions on draft notices related to increasing and decreasing MRL levels of some active ingredients.

Notably, the EU proposed to reduce the MRL of Zoxamide in lettuce, salads, and spinach from 30ppm to 0.01ppm (equivalent to 3,000 times). Accordingly, 0.01ppm is the default level applied by the EU to active substances for which the market has not established an MRL and is not included in the common database.

Zoxamide is a fungicide used to control a wide range of fungi, including potato and tomato leaf blight. It has a preventive effect with residual properties and acts by inhibiting nuclear division.

According to Mr. Ngo Xuan Nam - Deputy Director of the Vietnam SPS Office, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) assessed that no significant acute toxicity has been detected for Zoxamide. However, this is considered a strong skin sensitizer and has the potential to cause sensitization when inhaled.

In contrast to lettuce, lettuce, spinach, the MRL of Zoxamide on onions, garlic, tomatoes has been relaxed by the EU. Tomatoes alone have increased 4 times, from 0.5ppm to 2ppm.

In addition, the EU also proposed to regulate the active ingredients Fenbuconazole, Penconazole and Acetamiprid on products such as rice, pepper, coffee, honey and some vegetables and fruits.

Specifically, with the active ingredients Fenbuconazole and Penconazole, citrus fruits and nuts such as cashews, macadamia nuts, rice, okra... will be applied at a very low concentration level of only 0.01ppm. Coffee, pepper and honey will be applied at the same level of 0.05ppm.

With the active ingredient Acetamiprid, banana products, according to the old regulation, have a concentration of 0.4ppm, but the new regulation is 0.01ppm; bell pepper and sweet pepper products, from 0.3ppm, according to the new regulation, are only 0.09ppm; tomatoes, from 0.5ppm to 0.06ppm...

Mr. Ngo Xuan Nam said that the EU plans to apply these regulations from February 2025. Accordingly, this change by the EU is related to many Vietnamese agricultural and food products that have been and are being exported to this market.

Manufacturers have 6 months to prepare and adjust accordingly. If we grasp information promptly, proactively adjust and control the residue levels of the above 4 active ingredients, we are confident that we will meet EU regulations, Mr. Nam emphasized.

The Vietnam SPS Office also requested the Plant Protection Department, the Department of Animal Health, the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association and the Vietnam Beekeeping Association to study, comment and notify relevant organizations and individuals to control MRLs according to EU regulations.

The EU is Vietnam's main agricultural export market. In the first 6 months of the year, Vietnam recorded an unusual increase in the number of warnings from this market. In total, there are 57 active substances commonly controlled by the EU that businesses and farmers need to pay special attention to, an increase of more than 80% compared to the same period in 2023.

This increase has led to the EU increasing the frequency of border checks on agricultural products exported from Vietnam. Currently, there are 4 agricultural products of our country that are subject to stricter control, including: dragon fruit with a 30% inspection frequency, chili 50%, okra 50% and durian 10%.

The EU periodically reviews and applies enhanced import controls and management measures every 6 months.

Without timely solutions, Vietnam's agricultural, food and aquatic products exports are at risk of increased border checks under EU regulations, affecting export progress and increasing competition in the international market.

EU removes control over instant noodles, increases inspection frequency of Vietnamese dragon fruit From July 2, Vietnamese instant noodles exported to the EU will not be subject to food safety control measures, while dragon fruit will have its inspection frequency increased by 30%.