Institute for the Control of Agrochemicals
Ministry of Agriculture
The Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR) held its 44th Session in Shanghai, China, from 23 to 28 April 2012. Vice Minister Chen Xiaohua, FAO Representative in China Percy Wachata Misika, Vice Mayor Jiang Ping for Shanghai attended and addressed the meeting. The Chairman of CCPR Session Prof. Qiao Xiongwu chaired the meeting.
Chen highly commented the contributions of Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) to protecting consumers' health and ensuring fair trade of
food through harmonizing food standard system.
He pledged that the Chinese Government, as always, will support CAC's efforts, actively engage in international standard-setting, honor its due obligations and responsibilities and boost the harmonization of international food standard system.
Chen stated that the Chinese Government always attaches great importance to food security and agri-food safety. China has kept perfecting relevant laws and policies, consolidating
technical support, and has built systems on agri-product quality standard and risk assessment featuring pesticide residues.
The recent achievements include the establishment of the National Center of Risk Assessment on Food Safety and the Agro-food Quality and Safety Panel and Risk Assessment Laboratory as well as the building of Regional Located-area Monitoring Network. In the past two years alone, the formulated or revised MRLs for pesticides in foods and feeds have registered 2319, and the standard-setting of pesticide residues is expected to speed up in the future.
Chen highlighted that ensuring food security and food safety are common obligation for all countries in the world. Chinese Government has confidence and is capable of addressing the issue of priority, which has a direct bearing on people''s livelihood and social stability.
Chinese Government stands ready to work with all parties to enhance exchange and cooperation in food safety, share successful practices and experiences, and promote compliance to and complementarities with internationally accepted standards of pesticide residues. China is striving to make greater contribution to aligning food safety standards, protecting consumers'' health and promoting the establishment of a fair, just and safe agri-products and foods trade mechanism.
The Session reviewed over 300 draft and proposed MRLs for 27 pesticides in agri-products, including 3 draft and proposed MRLs submitted by China, that is, MRLs for Cypermethrin in tea, Acephate and Methamidophos in brown rice. A total of 12 agenda items were discussed at the Session, including guidance to facilitate the establishment of MRLs for pesticides in minor
crops and specialty crops, risk analysis principles applied by CCPR and revision of the Codex classification of foods.
As the presidency, China has hosted CCPR annual session for six consecutive years. This Session was attended by 237 delegates representing 59 Member Countries and regions and eight international organizations.