Malaysia Proposes Amendments to Pesticide Residue Limits under Food Regulations 1985

"Malaysia has notified draft amendments to the Sixteenth Schedule (Regulation 41) of the Food Regulations 1985 [P.U. (A) 437/1985], concerning pesticide residue limits, under the responsibility of the Food Safety and Quality Programme, Ministry of Health Malaysia. The proposed amendments cover various food commodities and are expected to affect all trading partners.

The draft amendments propose the addition of maximum residue limits (MRLs) for 19 new pesticides, including tetraniliprole, permethrin, carfentrazone-ethyl, clomazone, cyproconazole, esfenvalerate, metolachlor, oxolinic acid, picoxystrobin, pretilachlor, pydiflumetofen, difenoconazole, methidathion, propineb, pyridaben, fenazaquin, isocycloseram, omethoate, and cyflufenamid.

In addition, the proposal introduces new MRLs for additional commodities associated with existing pesticides, such as ametoctradin, buprofezin, chromafenozide, lufenuron, glufosinate-ammonium, prochloraz, propiconazole, cyromazine, tebuconazole, trifloxystrobin, azoxystrobin, spinetoram, imidacloprid, carbaryl, lambda-cyhalothrin, pyriproxyfen, dinotefuran, clothianidin, deltamethrin, metalaxyl, amitraz, cyfluthrin/beta-cyfluthrin, acetamiprid, emamectin benzoate, pirimiphos-methyl, fluopyram, hexaconazole, iprodione, fenvalerate, thiamethoxam, zeta-cypermethrin, bifenthrin, and clethodim.

The draft also proposes the deletion of existing MRLs for three pesticides—trichlorfon, monocrotophos, and methamidophos—along with their associated commodity entries.

Malaysia notes that some of the proposed MRLs are not established under Codex Alimentarius, while others deviate from Codex limits for specific pesticide–commodity combinations. Examples include tetraniliprole in cabbage, ametoctradin in tomato, propiconazole in banana, pydiflumetofen in maize and watermelon, cyromazine and tebuconazole in spring onion, fluopyram in strawberry, and isocycloseram in tomato. The proposed MRLs have been established based on residue trials conducted in Malaysia and data from other countries.

These amendments aim to update Malaysia’s pesticide residue framework to reflect current agricultural practices, national residue data, and food safety considerations, while providing regulatory clarity for domestic producers and international exporters supplying food commodities to the Malaysian market."