WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/NZL/391 
2 January 2008  
 (08-0009) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  NEW ZEALAND
  
If applicable, name of local government involved:     
2. Agency responsible:  New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numb er(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Agricultural compounds 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable :  Any 
countries using any of the compounds for whic h the new MRLs are proposed in relation to 
produce/commodities intended for export to New Zealand (refer al so to Section 8). 
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  New Zealand Food Safety 
Authority: Proposals to Amend th e New Zealand (Maximum Resi due Limits of Agricultural 
Compounds) Food Standards 2007, December 2007 (available in English, 32 pages) 
6. Description of content:  The document contains technical details on proposals to amend the 
New Zealand (Maximum Residu e Limits of Agricu ltural Compounds) Food Standards 2007, 
as set out in section 3.  
NZFSA proposes to add the following seven MRLs to Schedule One of the New Zealand 
(Maximum Residue Limits of Agricu ltural Compounds) Food Standards 2007:  
• 0.1mg/kg for amitraz in honey; and 1m g/kg for amitraz in other bee products; 
• 0.05mg/kg for azinphos-methyl in potat oes as a replacement for 2mg/kg for 
azinphos-methyl in vegetables; 
• 0.02mg/kg for doramectin in sheep meat  as a replacement for 0.01mg/kg for 
doramectin in sheep meat; 
• 0.05mg/kg for marbofloxacin in pig fat; and 0.15mg/kg for marbofloxacin in pig 
kidney, pig liver, and pig meat;  
• 0.1mg/kg for myclobutanil in pome fruits; • 0.02mg/kg for pyraclostrobin in apples, barley, milk, pears and wheat; and 0.02mg/kg 
for pyraclostrobin in mammaliam fa t, kidney, liver and meat; and 
• 0.01mg/kg for quinoxyfen in cucurbits (ine dible peel). 
NZFSA proposes to delete the following eight  MRLs from Schedule One of the New Zealand 
(Maximum Residue Limits of Agricu ltural Compounds) Food Standards 2007:  
• 0.5mg/kg for benalaxyl in grapes and tomatoes; 
• 3mg/kg for bromopropylate in citrus fruits; 
• 30mg/kg for sec-butylamine in citrus fruits; • 2mg/kg for methidathion in citrus fruits; • 30mg/kg for methylene chloride in spices; 
• 2mg/kg for naled in berries and ot her small fruits, and vegetables; G/SPS/N/NZL/391 
Page 2  
 
  • 0.2mg/kg for nitrothal-isopropyl in pome fruits; and 
• 15mg/kg for phosmet in kiwifruit; and 10mg/kg for phosmet in other fruit. 
NZFSA proposes to add the following six MRL exemptions to Schedule Two of the New 
Zealand (Maximum Residue Li mits of Agricultural Compounds) Food Standards 2007:  
• ammonium thiosulphate when applied during flowering for fruit reduction in 
pomefruit and stonefruit; 
• extract of azadirachta indica (neem – c ontaining azadirachtin) where the primary 
mode of action derives from the presence of azadirachtin; 
• 1, 4-dimethylnaphthalene when used for ma intenance of sprout inhibition in stored 
potatoes; 
• hydrogen peroxide when used as a spray- on fungicide and bactericide treatment for 
fruit; 
• peroxyacetic acid when used as a spra y-on fungicide and bactericide treatment for 
fruit;  and 
• potassium bicarbonate when used as a fungicide for fruit and cucurbits. 
NZFSA proposes to delete the following MR L exemption from Schedule Three of the New 
Zealand (Maximum Residue Li mits of Agricultural Compounds) Food Standards 2007:  
• oestradiol-17 beta and its esters or conjugates used fo r treatment of  suboestrus, 
dystocia, metritis, pyometra, retained pl acenta, anoestrus in mares or growth 
promotion in cattle.  
7. Objective and rationale:  [ X ] food safety, [ X ] animal health,  [ X ] plant protection, [  
 ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease,  [   ] protect territory from other 
damage from pests    
8. International standard, guideline or recommendation:  
[ X ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] World Organization for Animal Health 
(OIE), [   ] International Plant Protection Convention, [   ] None  
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate 
reference and briefly identify deviations:   
Clause 6 of the New Zealand (Maximum Residue Limits of  Agricultural Compounds) Food 
Standards 2007 (the domestic MRL standards) states, inter alia, that: 
• food containing residues of agricultural  compounds up to but not exceeding the 
domestic MRL standards may be sold in New Zealand;  and 
• food containing residues of agricultural  compounds not exceeding 0.1mg/kg, where 
that agricultural compound is not listed in  the domestic MRL standard, or that 
compound is not listed in the domestic MRL standard in relation to that food (type, 
kind or class), may be sold in New Zealand. 
Imported food may be sold in New Zealand provided that it complies with either the 
conditions above, or may contain residues of  an agricultural compound no greater than the 
maximum residue limits specified for that compound and that food (type, kind or class) in the 
current editions or supplements of th e FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission 
publications titled Pesticide Residues in Food or Resi dues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods . 
9. Relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:   New Zealand 
(Maximum Residue Limits of Agricultural Compounds) Food Standards 2007 (available in 
English)  G/SPS/N/NZL/391 
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  10. Proposed date of adoption:  13 March 2008   
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  10 April 2008   
12. Final date for comments:  5:00 pm on Friday, 29 February 2008 
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [ X ] National notification 
authority, [   ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: 
 MRL Amendments  
 Policy Group  
 New Zealand Food Safety Authority  
 PO Box 2835  Wellington, New Zealand  Tel:  +(64 4) 894 2692  Fax:  +(64 4) 894 2583 
 Email:  policy@nzfsa.govt.nz 
 Website:  http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz/policy -law/consultation/index.htm
 
13. Texts available from:  [ X ] National notifica tion authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, 
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body: 
 Coordinator, SPS New Zealand  
 PO Box 2526   101-103 The Terrace  Wellington, New Zealand 
 Tel:  +(64 4) 474 4140 
 Fax:  +(64 4) 470 2730  E-mail:  sps@maf.govt.nz   Website:  http://www.biosecurity.govt.nz/sps/tr ansparency/notifications/index.htm