Statement on the risk assessment of maximum residue levels (MRLs) for oxamyl in view of consumer protection

In accordance with Article 43 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, the European Commission requested EFSA to perform a risk assessment of the existing maximum residues levels (MRLs) for oxamyl considering the new toxicological reference values. Additionally, if needed to ensure adequate consumer protection, lower limits of quantification (LOQs) than those currently established in the legislation should be proposed. EFSA performed various consumer exposure calculation scenarios, considering the risk assessment values as available for the existing uses of oxamyl and the lowering of LOQs for several plant and animal commodities as suggested by the European Union Reference Laboratories for Pesticide Residues (EURLs). Based on the results of the consumer exposure assessment calculated considering the risk assessment values for crops with authorised oxamyl uses and the existing EU MRLs at the LOQ for remaining commodities (scenario 1), chronic consumer intake concerns were identified for 34 diets. Acute exposure concerns were identified for a wide range of crops, including crops with currently authorised oxamyl uses: bananas, potatoes, melons, cucumbers, carrots, watermelons, tomatoes, courgettes, parsnips, salsifies and aubergines/eggplants. Under exposure calculation scenario 3, which considered lowering of all MRLs to the lowest analytically achievable limits of quantification, EFSA concludes that chronic consumer exposure concerns can still not be excluded. Similarly, acute consumer exposure concerns were identified for 16 commodities, including crops with known authorised uses: potatoes, melons, watermelons and tomatoes, even though for these crops a lower LOQ as proposed by the EURLs were considered. Further refinements of the calculated exposure at the current stage were not possible by EFSA, but EFSA identified a list of commodities for which a lower LOQ than routinely achievable is expected to significantly reduce the consumer exposure and for which a risk management decision is required.