Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 April 2023
1369. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health if he is aware of carcinogenic substances present in oranges (details supplied); the steps his Department intends to take to address the issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16418/23]
View answerAs previously advised to the correspondent, in October 2022, my Department advised that the three substances mentioned in the correspondence, i.e., Imazalil, Pyrimethanil and Thiabendazole are all approved at EU level, having been assessed to ensure the use of these pesticides would not give rise to any unacceptable risks to humans, animals or to the environment.
Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 sets out maximum residue levels (MRLs) of pesticide residues in food to ensure that food products containing residues below these limits are safe for consumers. In Ireland, oranges and orange juice, amongst other commodities are sampled for pesticide residues as part of Ireland’s National Control Plan for Pesticides (NCPP). The NCPP is undertaken by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine’s (DAFM’s) Pesticide Registration and Control Division (PRCD), with laboratory support provided by DAFM’s Pesticide Residues Laboratory. The reports from this programme are published annually.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI), under the remit of my Department, is responsible for enforcing ‘food legislation’ across food businesses in Ireland, and it is dedicated to protecting public health and consumer interests in the area of food safety and hygiene.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland has advised my Department that it has requested the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine Pesticides Registration and Control Division to take targeted samples of oranges/juices from the juicing machines referred to in the correspondence, for analysis as part of the 2023 National Control Plan for Pesticides (NCPP).
