User Guides

Searching Appropriate Maximum Pesticide Residues Limits for Specific Food Commodities:

• Users can search MRLs/EMRLs stipulated in Schedule 1 to the Regulation by the name of the individual pesticide or the name of the individual food commodity/food subgroup/food group.

Search by Name of Individual Pesticide

(1)	Press “Searching by Pesticide”. Key in the name of the individual pesticide or press “Show All” in the “Select Pesticide” menu to choose the individual pesticide of interest from the full list of pesticides.
(2a)	MRLs/EMRLs for individual food commodity/food subgroup/food group: Key in the name of the individual food commodity/food subgroup/food group of interest or press “Show All” in the “Select Food Commodity” menu to choose from the full list of food commodities, so as to show MRLs/EMRLs of the food commodity/food subgroup/food group of interest as stipulated in Schedule 1 to the Regulation.
(2b)	MRLs/EMRLs for all food commodities: Press “Show All” in the “Select Food Commodity” menu and choose “Select All Food Commodities” so as to show the full list of MRLs/EMRLs for the individual pesticide of interest as stipulated in Schedule 1 to the Regulation.

Search by Name of Individual Food Commodity/Food Subgroup/Food Group

(1)	Press “Searching by Food”. Key in the name of the individual food commodity/food subgroup/food group or press “Show All” in the “Select Food Commodity” menu to choose the individual food commodity/food subgroup/food group of interest from the full list of food commodities.
(2a)	MRLs/EMRLs for individual pesticide: Key in the name of the individual pesticide of interest or press “Show All” in the “Select Pesticide” menu to choose from the full list of pesticides, so as to show MRLs/EMRLs of the pesticide of interest as stipulated in Schedule 1 to the Regulation.
(2b)	MRLs/EMRLs for all pesticides: Press “Show All” in the “Select Pesticide” menu and choose “Select All Pesticides” so as to show the full list of MRLs/EMRLs for the individual food commodity/food subgroup/food group of interest as stipulated in Schedule 1 to the Regulation.

Special notes to users

• If the MRL / EMRL of a specific food commodity is different from the MRL / EMRL of its relevant food subgroup or food group, the MRL / EMRL of the specific food commodity is applicable to that specific food commodity.

Interpretation:

Processed Food and Compounded Food

• Only food commodities specified in Schedule 1 to the Regulation will be included in the MRL Database. Majority of the MRLs/EMRLs stipulated in Schedule 1 to the Regulation are established for raw agricultural commodities of both plant and animal origins. However, where it is considered necessary for consumer protection and facilitation of trade, MRLs/EMRLs are also established for certain processed foods on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration information on the effect of processing on the pesticide residues present in the food commodity. For a food in its processed form (other than compounded food), but not in a dried, dehydrated or concentrated form, unless there is a MRL/EMRL specified for the concerned “pesticide-food” pair in Schedule 1 to the Regulation, the MRL/EMRL specified for the corresponding primary food commodity or raw food ingredient applies. Users are advised to refer to the “Pesticide Residues in Food Regulation (Cap. 132CM) - User Guidelines” for details regarding interpretation of MRLs/EMRLs for processed foods.

Foods of Animal Origin

• Where “(Fat)” displayed in MRL/EMRL of the search result, the corresponding MRL/EMRL applies only to the fat of the food (i.e., expressed on a fat basis).
• Where “(F)” displayed in MRL/EMRL of the search result, the corresponding MRL/EMRL for milk products shall be determined as follows:
  1. For a “milk product” with a fat content less than 2%, the MRL/EMRL applicable is half that specified for “milk”.
  2. For a “milk product” with a fat content of 2% or more, the MRL/EMRL applicable is 25 times that specified for “milk”, expressed on a fat basis.