Regional workshop equips countries to generate the science behind Codex pesticide MRLs

How can countries in Asia make sure their most important crops, especially tropical fruits and vegetables, are covered by Codex standards? That question drove a lively and highly interactive Regional Workshop on Generating Scientific Evidence for the Establishment of Codex Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for Pesticide Residues, held virtually on 23 September 2026.

Building on the momentum of the 57th Session of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues (CCPR57), the workshop was organized by the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (FAO RAP) under the regional project "Strengthen Capacity on Data Generation and Utilization for Elaboration of Science-Based Food Safety Standards for ASEAN Countries" (GCP/RAS/418/JPN), in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan in its role as Regional Coordinator for Asia. Opening the workshop to all interested Members of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Asia (CCASIA) broadened its reach and encouraged exchange across the region. 

The response was strong: 58 participants from 11 countries joined, including government officials and technical experts working on supervised residue trials, scientific evaluation and MRL development. Some countries in the region still lack Codex MRLs for commodities of national interest and face real challenges in generating the data needed to support them.

Sridhar Dharmapuri, Senior Food Safety and Nutrition Officer, FAO RAP, welcomed participants, followed by opening remarks from Aya Orito-Nozawa, Chair of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committee for Asia (CCASIA), who underscored the importance of Asian countries contributing scientific evidence to international standard-setting.

From there, the programme moved quickly from the "why" to the "how." Pisan Pongsapitch, former Secretary General of Thailand's National Bureau of Agricultural Commodities and Food Standards, set the scene by showing how science underpins both consumer protection and fair trade. His message to the region was clear: without sufficient evidence, nationally and regionally important commodities may remain without suitable Codex MRLs.

Participants then got an insider's view of the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) process. YongZhen Yang, former JMPR Secretariat, walked them through the key scientific evidence required by the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR), the submission and evaluation process, and the common reasons JMPR may be unable to recommend an MRL. JMPR expert Dugald Maclachlan built on this with a practical look at frequent gaps in data submissions and how to avoid them.

Ian Reichstein, retired former Director of Australia's National Residue Survey and Australian delegation leader to CCPR, turned the focus to planning, sharing guidance on how countries can strategically organize national evidence generation for future Codex MRLs. Mohammad Nazrul Fahmi Abdul Rahim, Deputy Director of Pesticides Control and Fertilizer Division, Department of Agriculture, Malaysia, then brought it all to life with Malaysia's own experience of planning and generating data to support Codex MRLs. Each session was followed by active discussion, with participants raising questions drawn from their own national experience.

The workshop also introduced the FAO practical handbook on Proposing new compounds and additional pesticide/commodity combinations to establish Codex maximum residue limits, a hands-on reference for national planning, data generation and future submissions to JMPR and CCPR.

Participants left with both new knowledge and fresh motivation. "The workshop provided valuable insights into the scientific evidence and data requirements for JMPR evaluation and highlighted the importance of strengthening regional capacity to generate high-quality residue data. Greater collaboration among Asian countries in generating and sharing scientific evidence could help address gaps in Codex MRLs, particularly for tropical fruits and vegetables of regional importance," said Mohd Amir Paray from India.

Nuri Wulansari from Indonesia agreed: "Participating in this virtual workshop provided a comprehensive understanding of the process for establishing Codex MRLs, highlighting the critical role of scientific evidence. It offered practical insights into the key data required for JMPR evaluation, as well as strategies to strengthen national data submissions to JMPR and CCPR."

The workshop marks an important step toward stronger participation by Asian countries in Codex pesticide work, and it opens the door to closer regional collaboration.