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SPECIAL TALK BY FDA
SPECIAL TALK BY FDA
The use of agricultural hazardous substances during crop cultivation
or storage, in addition to the possible contamination thereof in human
food, has presently been detected. The Food and Drug Administration,
therefore, issued the Notification of the Ministry of Public Health
(No.387) B.E.2560 (2017) Re: Food Containing Pesticide Residues
where in the regulation on the allowable limit of pesticide residues in
food has been amended in order to appropriately respond to the current
situation and to ensure consumer safety and protection in the entire
chain through the agricultural hazardous substance control systems,
which are expected to be grouped under the same national standard.
The detail of the notifications is summarized as follows;

The Most Recently Enforced Food Regulations

Notification of the Ministry of Public Health No.387 B.E.2560 (2017) Re:
Food Containing Pesticide Residues (Pesticide Residues in Food)

The Notification of the Ministry of Public Health Re: Food Containing
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1Pesticide Residues, dated the 14 April B.E.2554 (2011) and the The guidelines to determine the pesticide residue limits in food can
Notification of the Ministry of Public Health (No.361) B.E.2556 (2013) 4be summarized as per Diagram 1 with the following details:
4.1 Food shall not contain any pesticide defined as Hazardous
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Re: Food Containing Pesticide Residues (No.2), dated the 6 August
B.E.2556 (2013), shall be repealed. Substances Type 4 that prohibited hazardous substances to be
produced, imported, sold or possessed under the Hazardous Substance
To revise and add definitions for clearer meaning and wider coverage Act B.E.2535 (1992) and Hazardous Substance Act, B.E.2551 (2008).
2as follows: As 82 substances listed in Annex 1 of this Notification
“Pesticide Residue” means any specified substance in food resulting 4.2 Detected pesticide residues in food shall be complied with
from the use of a pesticide. The term includes any derivatives of a standard, as the case may be.
pesticide, such as conversion products, metabolites, reaction products, (1) In case of agricultural hazardous substances with MRL, the
and impurities considered to be of toxicological significance detected pesticide residues in food shall not exceed the
“Pesticide” means any substance intended for preventing, destroying, specified limits in accordance with the following conditions:
attracting, repelling, or controlling any pest including unwanted species (1.1) Shall not exceed MRL specified in Annex 2 of this
of plants or animals during the production, storage, transport, distribution, Notification.
or processing of food, or which may bead ministered to animals for the (1.2) If the types of agricultural hazardous substances
control of ectoparasites. The term includes substances intended for use or food are not specified in Annex 2 of this Notification,
as a plant-growth regulator, defoliant, desiccant, fruit thinning agent, the detected pesticide residues in food shall not
or sprouting inhibitor and substances applied to crops either before or exceed the limits recommended by Codex Alimentarius
after harvest to protect the commodity from deterioration during storage Commission, Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards
and transport. The term normally excludes fertilizers, plant and animal Programme (http://www.fao.org/fao-who-
nutrients, food additives, feed additives and veterinary drug. codexalimentarius/standards/pestres/en/)
“Maximum Residue Limit; MRL” means the maximum concentration (1.3) When there are no MRL was specified in Annex 2 of
of a pesticide residue in food arising from use of a pesticide. It is this Notification and Codex pesticide database, the
expressed in milligrams of pesticide residue per kilogram of the food amount of pesticide residues in food shall not exceed
“Extraneous Maximum Residue Limit; EMRL” means the maximum the default limit as per the following conditions:
concentration of a pesticide residue in food arising from the residues (A) Shall not exceed the default limit specified in Annex
that contaminate in the environment including from the pesticides that 3 of this Notification. This condition applies to plant
have been used before and then their uses have been banned in the commodities only.
country but, because of their persistent properties, the residues still exist (B) Shall not exceed 0.01 milligrams of residue per
in the environment. It is expressed in milligrams of pesticide residue kilogram of food. This condition applies to any
per kilogram of the food food other than plant commodities specified in
“Default Limit” means the maximum concentration of a pesticide Annex 3 of this Notification.
residue in food for those pesticides which specific MRL is not set out. It (2) The detected pesticide residues in food for aldrin, dieldrin,
is expressed in milligrams of pesticide residue per kilogram of the food. DDT, endrin, and heptachlor shall not exceed the Extraneous
“Definition of Residues” means pesticide residue identified to analyse Maximum Residue Limit (EMRL) specified in Annex 4 of this
for compliance with MRLs established in this notification. This may be
one or several types combined Notification.
“Type 4 Hazardous Substance” means the hazardous substance The Analytical methods shall be as prescribed in Annex 5 of this
which is not allowed to be produced, imported, exported or possessed 5Notification, as recommended guidelines for laboratory practice
in accordance with the Notification of the Ministry of Industry on The
List of Hazardous Substances issued under the Hazardous Substance Enforcement Period: The Notification of the Ministry of Public Health
Act B.E.2535 (1992) and Hazardous Substance Act, B.E.2551 (2008) 6No.387 B.E.2560 (2017) Re: Food Containing Pesticide Residues
shall come into force on the 19 September B.E.2560 (2017).
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The types of food with Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) or Extraneous
3Maximum Residue Limit (EMRL) include plants and vegetables, Punitive Measures: Violators of the regulations stipulated in this
fruits, meat, entrails, fat, milk, eggs, and oil. The plant commodities are 7Notification who sell food containing pesticide residues, which is
defined in Thai Agricultural Standard TAS 9045-2016 Classification of considered to be a substandard food according to Clause 28 of Food
agricultural products: Plants and the latest revision, in which agricultural Act B.E.2522 (1979), shall be subject to fine of not more than THB
commodities are classified into the following 5 main categories: 50,000, or violators shall be subject to fine of not more than THB 20,000
Category 1 Fruits and/or imprisonment for any period not exceeding 2 years since such
Category 2 Vegetables food is classified asimpure food according to Clause 26(1) of Food
Category 3 Cereals and other grass family plants Act B.E.2522 (1979).
Category 4 Nuts and seeds
Category 5 Herbs and spices
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