The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has confirmed tentative maximum residue levels (MRLs) for quinmerac in liver, kidney, and edible offal of ruminant and equine species, following the evaluation of confirmatory data submitted by applicant BASF SE. In a reasoned opinion published on 16 July 2026, EFSA concluded that the previously identified data gap—residue trials for sugar beet and fodder beet tops—has been satisfactorily addressed, allowing the tentative MRLs to be maintained at current levels without modification. The consumer risk assessment from the 2020 MRL review remains valid.
The data gap was identified during EFSA's 2020 review of existing MRLs under Article 12 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005. At that time, EFSA derived tentative MRLs for livestock commodities because residue trials analysing simultaneously for enforcement and risk assessment residue definitions for sugar beet and fodder beet tops were unavailable. In 2022, Commission Regulation (EU) 2022/1321 implemented these tentative MRLs with footnotes requiring confirmatory data by 29 July 2024. BASF SE submitted an application to the Estonian competent authority on 22 July 2024, which was declared admissible on 18 October 2024. A public consultation ran from 13 November to 4 December 2024, yielding no additional data or comments. The evaluation report was submitted to the European Commission and EFSA on 20 March 2026, and the Commission mandated EFSA to assess it on 26 March 2026. After further clarifications from the applicant, a revised evaluation report was submitted in June 2026.
To address the data gap, BASF SE provided new residue trials on sugar beet tops compliant with an adjusted, less critical Good Agricultural Practice (GAP). The trials were analysed for the enforcement residue definition and for the risk assessment definition, though analysis of conjugated forms was limited to the glucose conjugate of metabolite BH-518-4. EFSA accepted the justification based on a new metabolism study identifying only that conjugate, but noted that broader application of this testing strategy to edible commodities requires further consideration. The revised livestock dietary burden did not change the previously derived MRLs, confirming the tentative MRLs for bovine, sheep, goat, and horse liver, kidney, and edible offal at levels ranging from 0.05 to 0.07 mg/kg.
The decision impacts several stakeholders. For BASF SE, the confirmation of MRLs ensures continued market access for quinmerac use on sugar beet, though the adjusted GAP may limit flexibility. EU livestock producers benefit from maintained MRLs, avoiding potential trade disruptions, but the reliance on a less critical GAP could affect future residue management. EU consumers face no increased risk, as the consumer risk assessment remains unchanged. National authorities, particularly Estonia as rapporteur Member State, gain clarity on the data requirements for confirmatory submissions. The opinion does not propose any changes to existing MRLs for plant commodities, such as sugar beet roots, which remain at the limit of quantification (0.15 mg/kg).