The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has recommended lowering the maximum residue levels (MRLs) for the insecticide beta-cyfluthrin on wheat and barley to the enforcement limit of quantification (LOQ) of 0.01 mg/kg, following an evaluation of confirmatory data submitted by the applicant Bayer AG. In a reasoned opinion published on 30 July 2026, EFSA concluded that the data gap for wheat was satisfactorily addressed through new residue trials, but the data gap for barley remained unaddressed as the applicant did not submit any new studies. The proposed MRL revisions, which would reduce existing import tolerance MRLs of 0.04 mg/kg for wheat and 0.3 mg/kg for barley, are now subject to risk management consideration by the European Commission.
The assessment stems from a 2021 MRL review under Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, where EFSA identified missing residue trial data for wheat and barley uses supported only by import tolerances from Ukraine. Although beta-cyfluthrin and cyfluthrin are no longer authorised for use on edible crops within the EU, the import tolerances for wheat and barley remained relevant. Tentative MRLs were implemented via Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/173, with footnotes requiring confirmatory data by 27 January 2025. Bayer AG submitted an application on 17 January 2025 to the German competent authority, which assessed the dossier and declared it admissible on 20 June 2025. A public consultation from 17 July to 7 August 2025 yielded no additional data or comments. The German evaluation report was submitted to the European Commission and EFSA on 9 February 2026, and the Commission mandated EFSA to assess it on 2 March 2026.
EFSA's evaluation found that the new residue trials on wheat, conducted in Brazil, Southern EU, and the United States, adequately supported a lower MRL of 0.01 mg/kg, posing no consumer health risk. For barley, however, the applicant confirmed no data would be submitted, leaving the data gap unresolved. EFSA recommends risk managers consider lowering the barley MRL to the LOQ. The proposed changes affect importers of Ukrainian wheat and barley, who may face stricter residue limits, while EU consumers benefit from reduced dietary exposure. The European Commission will now decide whether to amend the MRL legislation accordingly.