New fenpirazamine residue limits: what farmers and agrifood industry must do

Key data

If you produce, import, export or market fruits and vegetables treated with fenpirazamine, this regulatory correction affects you directly. Regulation (EU) 2026/1339, published on 18 June 2026, adjusts the maximum residue limits (MRLs) of this fungicide established in Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, the European reference standard on pesticides in food and feed.

Fenpirazamine is a fungicide widely used in the cultivation of fruits and vegetables to combat fungal infections. MRLs determine the maximum amount of residue of this substance that can be present in a food when it reaches the consumer. Exceeding these limits has immediate consequences: product withdrawal from the market and possible administrative sanctions.

What does this regulation establish?

This regulation is a correction to Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, the European framework standard that sets MRLs for pesticides in food and feed of plant and animal origin. This is not a complete review, but a specific adjustment to the values previously established for fenpirazamine in certain products.

The correction means that the MRLs currently in force for fenpirazamine in certain products are modified. Operators who were applying their protocols based on the previous values must update their compliance references.

To find out the exact MRL values corrected by product, it is necessary to consult the full text of the regulation in the Official Journal of the EU.

Economic and operational impact

The impact of this correction is not insignificant. Any batch of product that exceeds the new MRLs can be withdrawn from the market by food control authorities, with the economic cost that entails: loss of the batch, destruction or return costs, and possible administrative sanctions.

The specific operational effects are as follows:

• Farmers: must review fenpirazamine application protocols to ensure that harvest residues do not exceed the new corrected MRLs.
• Agrifood industry: must update its internal residue control procedures and raw material acceptance criteria.
• Importers: must update their compliance analyses for products entering the EU, as border controls are based on current MRLs.
• Exporters: must verify that their products comply with the new values before shipment to EU markets.
• Food control authorities: must update their regulatory references for official inspections and controls.

The cost of non-compliance goes beyond the administrative fine: the withdrawal of a batch of product from the market can result in significant losses depending on the volume affected, in addition to reputational damage with buyers and distributors.

Who does it affect?

• Farmers and agricultural cooperatives that use fenpirazamine in the treatment of fruits and vegetables.
• Agrifood industry companies that process, package or distribute fresh or processed products derived from treated fruits and vegetables.
• Importers of fruits and vegetables from third countries, who must ensure compliance with European MRLs in their compliance analyses.
• Exporters of fruits and vegetables that direct their production to the European market.
• Agrifood analysis laboratories that carry out pesticide residue controls for their clients.
• Food control authorities (national and regional) responsible for official inspections and controls on the market.

Practical example

Imagine a Spanish importing company that brings table grapes from a third country. Until now, its fenpirazamine residue analyses were carried out using as reference the MRLs established in Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 in its previous version.

With the publication of Regulation (EU) 2026/1339, those values have been corrected. If the company does not update its analysis criteria and accepts a batch that exceeds the new corrected MRL, that batch can be intercepted in import controls or withdrawn from the market once distributed. The result: loss of batch value, rejection management costs and possible administrative sanctions.

The immediate action is clear: ask the analysis laboratory to update the reference values for fenpirazamine and review the certificates from your usual suppliers.

What should companies do now?

1. Consult the full text of Regulation (EU) 2026/1339 in the Official Journal of the EU to identify exactly which products and which MRL values have been corrected for fenpirazamine.
2. Review internal residue control protocols and update fenpirazamine reference values in analysis procedures and raw material acceptance.
3. Communicate the changes to your usual analysis laboratory so that it updates the evaluation criteria in pesticide residue reports.
4. Review contracts with suppliers (especially in the case of importers) to ensure that suppliers know and comply with the new MRLs.
5. Update compliance documentation for exports to the EU, including residue analysis certificates with the new values.
6. Verify the status of batches in circulation to detect if any product already distributed could fail to comply with the new corrected MRLs and act in advance.

The risk of not acting is concrete: product withdrawal from the market and administrative sanctions for non-compliance with the MRLs established in European pesticide regulations.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/./legal-content/AUTO/?uri=OJ:L_202601339