Pesticide  residues in rice : 
Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs)  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 PNS/BAF S  
ICS  
 PHILIPPINE NATIONAL  
STANDARD  
BUREAU OF AG RICULTURE AND FISHERIES STANDARDS  
BPI Compound Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City 1101 Philippines  
Phone (632) 920 -6131; (632) 455 -2856; (632) 467 -9039; Telefax (632) 455 -2858  
E-mail: bafpsda@yahoo.com.ph  
Website: www.bafps.da.gov.ph   
 DEPARTMENT OF 
AGRICULTURE  
PHILIPPINES   
 
 
 
PHILIPPINE N ATIONAL STANDARD                                                      PNS/BAFS  2015: _____   
Pesticide residues in rice : Maximum Residue L imits (MRLs)  
  
 
1 
 
 Foreword  
 
The liberalization of trade brought about by the ASEAN economic integrati on 
provides the need to strengthen th e food regulatory systems within the region 
through the establishment of appropriate food safety standards . The Philippine s, 
being an active member of the ASEAN, have been highly involved in the 
harmonization of food safety standards including maximum resi due limits  (MRLs)  of 
pesticides.  
 
In 2013, the Committee on Fruits and Vegetables of the Philippine Council for 
Agriculture and Fisheries passed the Resolution No. 4 recommending to the Office of 
the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture , the establis hment of a national 
standard on pesticide residue.  A Technical Working Group  (TWG)  was created  per 
Special Order No. 580 series of 2014  to facilitate the adoption of the initial list of 
maximum residue limits for selected crops , namely asparagus, banana, m ango, 
okra, pineapple and rice . The project is a collaborative effort  of experts from  the 
Bure au of Plant Industry (BPI), Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA), Philippine 
Council for Agriculture and Fisheries (PCAF), DA AgriPinoy High Value Commodity 
Development Program (HVCDP), University of the Philippines at Los Baños (UPLB), 
NFA-Food Development Center (FDC), DOST -Food and Nutrition Research Institute 
(FNRI) , CropLife Philippines, Crop Protection Association of the Philippines (CPAP), 
and Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (BAFS). The TWG, through 
several meetings, prepared the draft standard  for presentation on a public 
information forum  held in Quezon City (NCR)  in order to make stakeholders aware 
of the set limits , before the document was finalized and adopted as Philippine 
National Standards (PNS).  
 
These adopt ed MRLs  for rice  were based on the list of proposed MRLs  of registered 
pesticide products  from the FPA, the MRLs set by the Codex Alimentarius, ASEAN, 
Japan Agricultural Standard (JAS) and data generated by the respective registrant 
companies  following the principles of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP).  This initial 
list is subject to regular review and updating by the FPA and the BAFS’ TWG. For 
imported commodities which may cont ain residue of FPA unregistered pesticides, 
Codex MRLs , ASEAN MRLs  or MRLs set by other government authorities may 
apply.  It is e nvisioned that compliance with these set limits will enhance the trade 
and competitiveness of the country’s agricultural produc ts as well as promote 
consumer protection against harmful effects of agrochemicals.  
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
PHILIPPINE N ATIONAL STANDARD                                                      PNS/BAFS  2015: _____   
Pesticide residues in rice : Maximum Residue L imits (MRLs)  
  
 
2 
 
 Rice  
 
Pesticides Active Ingredients  MRL (ppm)  
2,4-D amine  0.10 
bensulfuron m ethyl  0.02 
bispyribac s odium  0.10 
BPMC (f enobucarb)  1.00 
carbaryl  1.00 
chlorantranili prole  2.00 
chlorothalonil  0.10 
chlorpyrifos  0.50 
chlorimuron e thyl 0.01 
cyfluthrin (i ncludes β -cyfluthrin)  0.06 
cyhalothrins (includes λ -
cyhalothrin)  0.50 
cypermethrins (includes alpha - 
and zeta - cypermethrin)  2.00 
difenoconazole  0.50 
ethoxysulfuron  0.10 
fenoxaprop -p-ethyl  0.05 
fenthion  0.30 
glyphosate  0.10 
imidacloprid  1.00 
indoxacarb  0.50 
isoprocarb  0.50 
methomyl  0.10 
niclosamide  0.01 
oxadiazon  0.02 
phenthoate  0.05 
pretilachor  0.05 
propiconazole  0.10 
propineb  0.05 
tebuconazole  1.50 
trifloxystrobin  5.00 
 
 
  
 
 
 
PHILIPPINE N ATIONAL STANDARD                                                      PNS/BAFS  2015: _____   
Pesticide residues in rice : Maximum Residue L imits (MRLs)  
  
 
3 
 
 References  
 
The following referenced documents are indispensable for the application of this 
document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated 
references,   the   la test   edition   of   the   referenced   document   (including   any 
amendments) applies. 
 
ASEAN  Expert Working Group on Maximum  Residue Limits of Pesticides . 2013.  
     Database of ASEAN MRLs.  
 
Codex Alimentarius Commission.  2013. Pesticide Residues in Food and Feed.  
     Retrieved from  
     http://www.codexalimentarius.net/pestres/data/commodities/index.html?lang=en   
     last July 2014  
 
Fertilizer and Pesticides Authority. 2008. FPA -approved Pesticides and Label 
Recommendations for Use in Asparagus Production.  Memorandum Circular No. 
02. Philippines  
 
Fertilizer and Pesticides Authority . 2009. The Philippine Maximum Residue Limits for  
     Mango . Philippines  
 
Fertilizer and Pesticides Authority. 2009. The Philippine Maximum Residue Limits for  
     Okra. Philippines  
 
The Japan Food Chemic al Research Foundation.  2014. Maximum Residue Limits  
     (MRLs) of Agricultural Chemicals in Foods . Retrieved from  
     http://www.ffcr.or.jp/zaidan/FFCRHOME.nsf/pages/MRLs -p last 21  May 2014  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
PHILIPPINE N ATIONAL STANDARD                                                      PNS/BAFS  2015: _____   
Pesticide residues in rice : Maximum Residue L imits (MRLs)  
  
 
4 
 
 Department of Agriculture  
Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards  
Technical Working Group for the Maximum Residue Limits of Pesticides on Selected 
Crops  
 
Chairperson  Co-chairperson  
A/sec. Paz J. Benavidez II  Karen Krist ine A. Roscom  
Maria Lourdes De Mata  BAFS  
Bureau of Plant Industry   
  
Members   
1 Dir. Norlito R. Gicana  
Aida V. Ordas  
Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority (FPA)  6 Dir. Jocelyn M. Sales  
Luz D. Padilla  
NFA Food Development Center  
(NFA -FDC)  
    
2 Esperanz a DG. Uy  
BPI National Pesticides Analytical Laboratory  
(BPI-NPAL)  7 Florinda B. Vasquez  
Simeon A. Cuyson  
Jeanette T. Lim  
Susan V. Mercado  
CropLife Philippines  
    
3 Catherine A. Viray  
Rose Anne R. Gerance  
Philippine Council for Agriculture and 
Fisheries (PCAF)  8 Dir. Mario V. Capanzana  
Dr. Ruby J. Apilado  
DOST Food and Nutrition Research 
Institute (DOST -FNRI)  
    
4 Jallyne E. Remoquillo  
Adriele Carabeo  
DA AgriPinoy High Value Crops Development 
Program (HVCDP)    
    
5 Cristina M. Bajet  
Lorenzo E. Fabro  
University of the Philippines – Los Baños  
(UPLB)    
    
Secretariat    
Lara V. Navarro  
Mary Grace R. Mandigma  
John Gregory V. Aquino  
Jonathan V. Paz  
BAFS