Maximum Residue Limit in Australia

In Australia, FSANZ defines a maximum residue limit (MRL) as "the highest amount of an agricultural or veterinary (agvet) chemical residue that is legally allowed in a food product sold in Australia" (FSANZ, Pesticides). Under Standard 1.4.2 (Agvet chemicals) of the Food Standards Code, residues left on produce "must be within the permitted MRL for that chemical in that produce" (same page).

What the definition covers

• Basis: FSANZ's glossary for the 23rd Australian Total Diet Study gives a fuller version. An MRL is "the highest concentration of a chemical residue that is legally permitted or accepted in a food or animal feed based on Good Agricultural Practices" (FSANZ, 23rd ATDS Appendix 1, p. 2).
• Purpose: MRLs "help regulatory agencies check whether a chemical has been used correctly to control pests and diseases in food production" (FSANZ, Pesticides).
• Relation to safety: the same glossary says:
  • MRLs "are not direct health measures", but the toxicology of the chemical is taken into account when they are set.
  • Food that complies with its MRL is "considered to be safe for consumption".
  • Going over an MRL in one commodity "does not necessarily mean that the food is unsafe", because exposure has to be seen across the whole diet.
  • An MRL is not recommended, and the pesticide use is not approved, where residues from all foods could lead to exposure above the ADI (acceptable daily intake). (ATDS Appendix 1, p. 2)
• Commodity-specific: a pesticide's MRLs differ from crop to crop because good agricultural practice differs. MRLs are generally enforced on raw commodities, not processed foods. For a mixed food, the applicable MRL is calculated from the proportions of its ingredients and the MRLs that apply to them (same page).

Where MRLs are set out There are two instruments:

• FSANZ Schedule 20 (Food Standards Code): each entry pairs an agvet chemical and its residue definition with a commodity and a permitted residue figure. For example, zoxamide is 5 in grapes ^[1], and zeranol is 0.005 in cattle meat ^[2]. Both entries are from compilation 93, effective 6 October 2026.
• APVMA Agricultural and Veterinary Chemicals MRL Standard: this also covers animal feed. Its Table 4 lists feed MRLs, for example ethofumesate in pasture at 500 ^[3]. Its Table 5 lists substance and use entries ^[4].
• How they connect: when the APVMA is considering a registration, variation or permit that may require a change to the MRL Standard, it notifies FSANZ under section 8E of the Agvet Code ^[5].

Approach: I searched the FSANZ Schedule 20 MRLs, the APVMA MRL Standard and the APVMA notices to FSANZ. Those hold the limits but not the definition, so the definition comes from FSANZ web pages. I couldn't open the APVMA's own MRL pages this time.