The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has proposed an import tolerance of 0.9 mg/kg for the fungicide folpet in bananas imported from Ecuador and El Salvador, but could not derive a maximum residue level (MRL) for honey due to non-compliant trial data. In a reasoned opinion published on 27 July 2026, EFSA concluded that short- and long-term dietary intake of folpet residues from bananas and honey poses no consumer health risk, though uncertainties remain over long-term exposure from missing data on metabolites in other crops.
The application, submitted by ADAMA Agriculture BV on 2 October 2024, was assessed by Austria as the rapporteur member state, which proposed MRLs of 0.9 mg/kg for bananas and 0.7 mg/kg for honey under the current residue definition (sum of folpet and phthalimide). EFSA found the banana residue trials sufficient to support the 0.9 mg/kg level, but rejected the honey proposal because the submitted semi-field trials on wine grapes and ornamental plants did not match the critical good agricultural practices (cGAPs) selected. The applicant and Austria maintained that the cGAPs were adequately supported, leaving the final risk management decision to the European Commission.
EFSA noted that monitoring data from 2009–2025 show honey already on the EU market complies with existing MRLs under both current and proposed new residue definitions. The opinion also flagged a discrepancy between the current enforcement residue definition (folpet plus phthalimide) and a new definition (folpet alone) proposed during the 2023 peer review for folpet renewal. EFSA could not derive an MRL under the new definition for bananas due to insufficient storage-stability data.
The decision impacts EU importers of bananas from Ecuador and El Salvador, who will need to ensure compliance with the 0.9 mg/kg limit, while honey producers face continued uncertainty as the Commission weighs whether to accept the Austrian proposal or request additional data. Consumer groups may welcome the low health risk conclusion, but the unresolved honey MRL and data gaps on metabolites in root crops leave some long-term exposure questions open. The Commission is expected to decide on the honey MRL in the coming months, potentially setting a precedent for residue definitions in future folpet assessments.