FDA Sampling Orange Juice Imports, Denying Entry if Contain Carbendazim
On January 9, 2012, the Food and Drug Administration sent a letter to the orange juice processing industry informing it that FDA is sampling import shipments of orange juice and will deny entry to shipments that test positive for the fungicide carbendazim.
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Firm Told FDA It Found Low Levels of Carbendazim in Its & Competitors’ Juice
The letter is in response to a December 28, 2011 notification from a juice company that it had detected low levels of carbendazim (in the low parts per billion range) in its and competitors' currently marketed finished products, and in certain orange juice concentrate that is not on the market.
Present in Juice Products from Brazil, Where Carbendazim Use Allowed
The industry reports indicate that carbendazim is present in orange juice products from the 2011 crop from Brazil, where the fungicide is used legally under Brazilian law to combat black spot, a type of mold that grows on orange trees.
Carbendazim in Orange Juice Considered Unlawful Pesticide Residue in U.S.
FDA notes that Carbendazim is approved for use in a variety of crops, including citrus, in many countries. However, in the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not approved carbendazim for use as a fungicide on oranges, nor has it established a tolerance or an exemption from the need for a tolerance for carbendazim in orange juice in the U.S. Thus, carbendazim in orange juice is an unlawful pesticide chemical residue under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
EPA Has Preliminarily Found Carbendazim to Be Present in Low, Safe Levels
According to FDA, EPA has conducted a preliminary risk assessment based on the recent reports of carbendazim in orange juice. Based on that risk assessment, EPA has concluded that consumption of orange juice with carbendazim at the low levels that have been reported does not raise safety concerns.
FDA Will not Remove Current Products, but Will Take Action if High Levels Found
Therefore, FDA does not intend to take action to remove from domestic commerce orange juice containing the reported low levels of carbendazim. FDA is, however, conducting its own testing of orange juice for carbendazim, and, if the agency identifies orange juice with carbendazim at levels that present a public health risk, it will alert the public and take the necessary action to ensure that the product is removed from the market.
Also Sampling Imports, to Deny Entry if OJ Tests Positive for Carbendazim
In addition, FDA stated that it is also sampling import shipments of orange juice and will deny entry to shipments that test positive for carbendazim.