Pesticide  residues in banana : 
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; Telefa x (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 banana : Maximum Residue L imits (MRLs)  
  
 
1 
 
 Foreword  
 
The liberalization of trade brought about by the ASEAN economic integrati on 
provides the need to strengthen the 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 re sidue 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 establ ishment 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,  mango, 
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 o f 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 banana 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 Stand ard (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 contain 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 
products as well as promote consumer protection against harmful effects of 
agrochemicals.  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
PHILIPPINE N ATIONAL STANDARD                                                      PNS/BAFS  2015: _____   
Pesticide residues in banana : Maximum Residue L imits (MRLs)  
  
 
2 
 
 Banana  
 
Pesticides Active Ingredients  MRL  (ppm)  
abamectin  0.01 
azoxystrobin  2.00 
bitertanol  0.50 
chlorpyrifos  2.00 
cyhalothrin s 
(includ es λ-cyhalothrin )  0.50 
deltamethrin  0.50 
dithiocarbamates  
(includ es mancozeb, p ropineb)  2.00 
ethephon  2.00 
fenthion  0.01 
fluopyram  0.80 
glufosinate -ammonium  0.20 
glyphosate  0.20 
imidacloprid  0.05 
indaziflam  0.01 
oxamyl  0.20 
propiconazole  0.10 
pyrimethanil  0.10 
spirotetramat  3.00 
spiroxamine  4.00 
tebuconazole  0.05 
trifloxystrobin  0.05 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
PHILIPPINE N ATIONAL STANDARD                                                      PNS/BAFS  2015: _____   
Pesticide residues in banana : 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. Pesti cide 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  
     Mang o. Philippines  
 
Fertilizer and Pesticides Authority. 2009. The Philippine Maximum Residue Limits for  
     Okra. Philippines  
 
The Japan Food Chemical Research Foundation.  2014. Maximum Residue Limits  
     (MRLs) of Agricultural Chemicals in Foods . Retrieve d 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 banana : Maximum Residue L imits (MRLs)  
  
 
4 
 
 Department of Agriculture  
Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards  
Technica l Working Group for the Maximum Residue Limits of Pesticides on Selected 
Crops  
 
Chairperson  Co-chairperson  
A/sec. Paz J. Benavidez II  Karen Kristine 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 Esperanza DG. Uy  
BPI National Pesticides Analytical Laboratory  
(BPI-NPAL)  7 Florinda B. Vasquez  
Simeon A. Cuyson  
Jeane tte 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. Mandigm a 
John Gregory V. Aquino  
Jonathan V. Paz  
BAFS