`Use of Dimethoate to be Banned in EU - Olive Oil Times

Use of Dimethoate to be Banned in EU

By Ylenia Granitto
Jul. 16, 2019 10:38 UTC

The European Commission has adopted a mea­sure lay­ing down the non-renewal of approval of the active sub­stance dimethoate, used as an insec­ti­cide mainly against the olive fruit fly in con­ven­tional farm­ing.

The Commission Implementing Regulation 2019/1090 of June 26, 2019, is based on the con­clu­sions of the European Food Safety Authority, accord­ing to whom it is not pos­si­ble to exclude risk stem­ming from expo­sure to residues of dimethoate, for which the geno­toxic poten­tial could not be excluded, and its main metabo­lite omethoate which was con­cluded to be an in vivo muta­genic agent.”

According to the Regulation, any exten­sion period granted by Member States for prod­ucts used on olive trees and other crops shall be as short as pos­si­ble and expire by July 17, 2020 (with the excep­tion of prod­ucts used on cher­ries, for which the grace period shall end next October 17.)

France had already banned this insec­ti­cide, caus­ing con­cerns among farm­ers due to fears of price increases. On the other hand, experts believe that the dimethoate ban and the use of alter­na­tive strate­gies will ben­e­fit the envi­ron­ment, the safety of work­ers, and the qual­ity of olive oil.





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