Reasoned opinion on the modification of the existing MRLs for mepiquat in oats, wheat and food commodities of animal origin

In accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, United Kingdom received an application from BASF to modify the existing MRLs for the active substance mepiquat in oats, wheat and food commodities of animal origin. In order to accommodate the intended uses of mepiquat, United Kingdom proposed to raise the existing MRLs from the limit of quantification to 0.1 mg/kg for meat (except poultry meat), to 0.5 mg/kg for liver (except poultry liver), to 0.8 mg/kg for kidney and offal (except poultry kidney and offal), and from 2 mg/kg to 3 mg/kg for oats and wheat. United Kingdom drafted an evaluation report in accordance with Article 8 of Regulation (EC) No 396/2005, which was submitted to the European Commission and forwarded to EFSA. EFSA considers that the submitted supervised residue trials are sufficient to derive MRL proposals of 3 mg/kg for the proposed uses on wheat (existing and new residue definition); for oats the MRL does not have to be modified for the existing residue definition, but needs to be raised to 3 mg/kg for the new residue definition. Adequate analytical enforcement methods are available to control the residues of mepiquat in dry content commodities (oat and wheat) under consideration at the validated LOQ of 0.05 mg/kg. For certain food commodities of animal origin the MRLs have to be modified as well. Based on the risk assessment results, EFSA concludes that the proposed use of mepiquat on oats and wheat and the resulting residues in food of animal origin will not result in a consumer exposure exceeding the toxicological reference values and therefore is unlikely to pose a consumer health risk.