Maximum residue limits – variations  

If you wish to submit an MRL harmonisation request you must include:

• Information about the agvet chemical to be considered, including the relevant health-based guidance values.
• A description of the food commodity as described by Codex and/or the Code.
• The specific MRL you are seeking and a reference to the legislation where the MRL is published.
• Information on the food commodity or commodities that are intended to be imported using this MRL.
• Evidence that the food is to be imported into Australia including volumes imported from the country with the source MRL, details on the size and nature of the Australian market, and cost impacts in the absence of a harmonised MRL, if available.

FSANZ may require additional data for its dietary exposure assessment to determine, in the context of the Australian diet, whether the chemical residues are within the national health-based guidance values.

FSANZ will assess the safety, legitimacy and justification for the presence of the residues in the food including whether:

• the agvet chemicals are permitted for use in the source country/countries
• residues are expected to occur as a result of this permitted use
• the source country/countries have determined MRLs or equivalent standards.

The assessment will also consider the significance of the market and the cost of a lack of adequate MRLs in the Code for the food.

If there is no health-based guidance value established by the APVMA or the Joint Meeting on Pesticide Residues for a chemical, it may not be possible to accommodate a MRL harmonisation request. In this case, you may wish to prepare an application to amend the Code. You can also submit an application if your harmonisation request is time critical.

The Application Handbook outlines the information required to make an application. Please ensure you meet all the mandatory requirements in Chapter 3.1.

FSANZ requires similar information for both MRL applications and MRL harmonisation proposals.

Contact the Standards Management Officer before lodging an MRL application at standards.management@foodstandards.gov.au