Draft pesticide residue minimisation guides for five crops

The Agency has developed a pesticide residue minimisation action plan in recognition of the views expressed by the majority of consumers who would prefer to have reduced residues in food, even though the current levels are considered to be safe.

A key strand of the Agency�s action plan is the development of pesticide residue minimisation crop guides that contain information and advice based on best practice that has been identified in consultation with industry. There are five guides, each of which will focus on a specific crop: cereals, apples, pears, potatoes and tomatoes.

The aim of the crop guides is to raise awareness of the issue of pesticide residues and to provide guidance that will help reduce pesticide residue levels in food. They are intended for use by all those involved in the production, supply and marketing of these crops when grown in the UK. The Agency hopes that the guides will help the food industry in successfully developing and delivering its own pesticide minimisation initiatives.

We intend to measure the success of the guides by monitoring the uptake of the initiative by bodies such as assurance schemes.

The guides refer to conventional methods of UK agricultural production (that is, not organic production).

Your views are being sought on the five draft pesticide residue minimisation crop guides. We welcome comments on any aspect of these guides or any issues you might like to raise in connection with them. In particular your views are being sought on the following questions:

• Is there any useful information left out that should be included in the guides (for example, other methods of good practice, other relevant R&D projects)?
• From your perspective, what would be the most useful structure and format for the guides that would maximise their effectiveness? How could they be made more �user friendly�?
• In terms of maximising their effectiveness, what would be the best method of publication for the guides (for example: website, CD-ROM, hardcopy, or incorporation into existing documents)?
• How could these guides be applied to similar crops grown outside of the UK?
• The guides are intended to link together as much as possible of the available information, initiatives and best practices relating to pesticide residue minimisation. How useful do you think it is to link information in this manner, so that all the best practices and initiatives relating to pesticide minimisation can be found in one place? Would you like to see parts of the guides, e.g. recommendations or research published as leaflets or posters?
• Do you have any comments on the information provided in the partial Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA)? For example, are there any particular costs or benefits associated with the guides not currently discussed in the RIA? Do you think the guides will have a disproportionate impact on small businesses?

The views expressed in the consultation will be used to develop the guides in a suitable way so that their effectiveness is maximised. The RIA will be developed in light of the consultation responses.

This consultation has been prepared in accordance with the HM Government Code of Practice on Consultation, which states that a consultation must follow better regulation best practice, including carrying out an Impact Assessment (Regulatory Impact Assessment in Scotland). The assessment is included in the consultation documents.

We are interested in what you thought of this consultation and would therefore welcome your general feedback on both the consultation package and overall consultation process. If you would like to assist us to improve the quality of future consultations, please feel free to share your thoughts with us by using the consultation feedback questionnaire.

Consultation feedback questionnaire (Word)

Consultation feedback questionnaire (pdf)

In accordance with the FSA principle of openness our Information Centre at Aviation House will hold a copy of the completed consultation. Responses will be open to public access upon request. The FSA will also publish a summary of responses, which may include personal data, such as your full name and contact address details. If you do not want this information to be released, please complete and return the Publication of Personal Data Form. Return of this form does not mean that we will treat your response to the consultation as confidential, just your personal data.

Data protection form (Word)

Data protection form (pdf)

Within three months of a consultation ending we aim to publish a summary of responses received and provide a link to it from this page.

If, after three months, the summary is still not showing, please contact the person who was responsible for the original consultation. Alternatively, you can contact Judith Taylor, the FSA Consultation Co-ordinator, on 020 7276 8633.
Email: judith.taylor@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk