The Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) 2014 was held at FAO headquarters in Rome,Italyon Sept. 11-25, 2014.
Over 40 FAO experts in pesticide residue and WHO toxicologists from 23 countries including US,UK,China,Germany, theNetherlands,Japan, attended the meeting. Officials from FAO and JMPR secretariats at FAO and WHO participated in the opening ceremony.
Mr. Clayton Campanhola, Director of FAO's Plant Production and Protection Division, addressed the opening ceremony. On behalf of the DGs of FAO and WHO, he extended warm welcome to the participating experts and expressed gratitude for the hard work of the experts and the support from member countries to the operation of JMPR. He spoke highly of the technical support and important contribution of JMPR in the formulation of global pesticide MRLs within CCPR.
Through plenary deliberation and panel discussion, the experts from FAO and WHO jointly evaluated the residue test reports and/or toxicological test reports of 36 pesticides, including 8 new compounds evaluated for the first time, 3 under periodical re-evaluation, 19 new MRLs, and 4 for which responses were given according to the inquiry of CCPR and member countries. The meeting also discussed and advised on 10 general items, including amendment of WHO guiding document and risk assessment method, progress in cumulative risk assessment, pesticide mid-term residue exposure assessment, minor-use crop/ specialty crop MRLs, group MRLs procedure and update of estimated ADI data by food cluster. With three weeks of intensive work, the meeting successfully accomplished all agenda items, with 17 ADIs and ARfDs formulated/revised and over 300 MRLs recommended.
Upon the invitation of FAO and WHO, Mr. Ye Guibiao, Director of the Residue Division of ICAMA, and Mr. He Yibing, Consultant-Director from the Department of Science, Technology and Education of the Ministry of Agriculture, joined the FAO expert group of JMPR 2014; and Ms. Zhang Liying from Health Division of ICAMA joined the WHO expert group. They accomplished the evaluation of the residue and toxicological test reports for nearly 30 MRLs of 4 compounds. This represents the first time thatChinaparticipates in the work of both FAO and WHO expert groups, which will positively promote the technical capacity in formulation of pesticide MRLs inChina, enhance its international influence in the field of pesticide registration administration, and helpChinabetter play the role as the host country of CCPR.