A maximum residue level (MRL) is the highest level of a pesticide residue legally allowed in or on a food. In the EU, MRLs are set under Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, and you can look up any limit in the European Commission's EU Pesticides Database.
Where the EU has set no specific MRL for a pesticide on a product, a default of 0.01 mg/kg applies. For spices, that default is often the limit that matters.
How MRLs work
An MRL is set for one pesticide on one product. The same pesticide can have different limits on cumin, chilli and pepper. MRLs are based on good farming practice and are checked for consumer safety. They are a legal trading limit, not a safety threshold. A residue just above the MRL is still illegal to sell.
Each pesticide also has a residue definition. For some, the MRL covers the parent compound only. For others, it covers the sum of the pesticide and its breakdown products. Your lab must report on the same definition.
How to check an EU MRL
- Open the EU Pesticides Database on the European Commission website.
- Search MRLs by pesticide, by product, or both.
- Find your product in the EU product list. Spices are grouped, for example seed spices, fruit spices and root spices, with named spices inside each group.
- Read the MRL value and note any footnote. An asterisk usually means the limit is set at the limit of quantification.
- Check the residue definition and the date the limit applies from.
- Save or print the result with the date, because limits change.
Why Indian spices fail on MRLs
Indian farmers use pesticides that are approved in India but not in the EU. If the EU has no MRL for that pesticide on that spice, the default 0.01 mg/kg applies, which is very low. A residue that is legal in India can therefore fail in the EU.
Spices are also concentrated when dried, and processors blend lots from many farms, so one treated field can affect a whole lot. Seed spices face this often, as covered in whether Indian suppliers can provide pesticide-free seed spices for the EU.
Using MRLs in your contract
The EU reviews pesticide approvals and lowers MRLs regularly. A pesticide that loses approval often has its MRLs cut to the limit of quantification after a transition period. Check the database before each season's contract, not once.
- Specify compliance with EU MRLs under Regulation (EC) No 396/2005 at the date of import.
- List any pesticides your customer bans or limits below the MRL.
- Require a multi-residue test with LOQs at or below 0.01 mg/kg where possible.
- Ask for any pesticide detected to be reported with its value, not just pass or fail.
How we help
We check the EU MRLs for your spice before booking and write them into the spec. We test the packed lot with a multi-residue screen at an NABL-accredited lab and flag any detection, even below the limit. Ask for a free sourcing review.