Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 April 2024
1368. Deputy Cathal Crowe asked the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 1369 of 18 April 2023, for an update on plans to address the issue of carcinogenic substances present in oranges (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14345/24]
View answerAs indicated in the previous response, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) requested the Pesticide Controls Division of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), to take targeted samples of oranges and juices from the juicing machines for analysis as part of the 2023 National Control Plan for Pesticides (NCPP).
The FSAI has advised that 34 samples of oranges and 16 samples of orange juice (including juice from the machines mentioned) were analysed by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in 2023 for residues of over 500 pesticides including imazalil, pyrimethanil and thiabendazole. None of these samples were found to be in breach of the maximum residue levels (MRLs) laid down in Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, on maximum residue levels of pesticides in or on food and feed of plant and animal origin.
In addition to the above analysis, 53 consignments of oranges, with a net total consignments weight of 2,132,245 kg were sampled at the Border Control Posts as part of official controls. One consignment was found to breach the legal MRL established pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 and was subsequently refused entry to the country and destroyed.
I am further advised that the Pesticide Controls Division of DAFM plans to include samples of oranges and juice from such machines in 2024.
