What is a residue?
A residue is a very small trace of an agricultural compound, such as a pesticide, that remains on a crop or in animal products.
How much is in our food?
Many foods do not contain residues. When they do occur, foods are still safe to eat as residue levels set by New Zealand legislation are well above any level of concern and include a wide safety margin.
See the regulation on pesticide residue on the Ministry for Primary Industries website:
Keeping residue levels low
We work with food chain partners to achieve the lowest possible pesticide residues in food.
All products entering the food chain undergo a rigorous assessment to examine the residues that remain in food products, and weigh it against the minimal risks they pose.
We are committed to clear and concise labelling instructions and training schemes to ensure residues are kept at extremely low levels – typically as low as one part million.
We also want access to new products which have lower residue levels.
International perspective
Summary of maximum residue limits (MRLs) in respect to global trade
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