MRL, apple, cherry, export, Farm Management, International relations/trade, crop production/industries,

Takagi, Chifumi

Thornsbury, Suzanne

English

Research Papers in Economics

   
  Agricultural 
Economics 
Report 
 
No. 631 
 
July 2008 
 
Japan MRL Regulation   
  by 
   Chifumi  Takagi  and   
   Suzanne  Thornsbury 
 
 
Department of Agricultural, 
  Food, and Resource 
 Economics 
MICHIGAN STATE 
UNIVERSITY 
East Lansing, MI 
48824-1039 
 
 
 
MSU IS AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER 1 
 
 
►New regulation 
On May 29, 2006 the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) in Japan 
introduced the positive list system for agricultural chemicals remaining in all foods-the 
system to prohibit the distribution of foods that contain agricultural chemicals above a 
certain level if new low replaces a formal regulation that established maximum residue 
limits (MRLs) for only a limited number of food product. The agricultural chemicals 
include pesticides, feed additives and veterinary drugs.   
The purpose of this paper is to introduce the new Japanese regulation to Michigan 
cherry growers. 
 
►Michigan fruits exported to Japan 
According to “Michigan Agricultural Statistics 2004-2005: Fruit”, there are nine 
primary commodities in Michigan fruit production: apple, blueberry, sweet cherry, tart 
cherry, grape, peach, pear, plum, and strawberry. Contacts with several Michigan 
agricultural organizations and agricultural extension offices indicate which commodities are 
currently exported to Japan (Table 1).   
 
Table 1: Reported Outlets for Michigan Fruit Products 
Commodity Contact  Reported  Outlet 
Apple Michigan  Apple  Committee  Some are exported to Japan 
Blueberry  Michigan Blueberry Growers Association  Japan is the largest export 
country for MI 
Sweet cherry  Cherry Marketing Institute, Inc.  Domestic purpose 
Tart cherry  Cherry Marketing Institute,  Inc.  Japan is the third largest 
export country for MI 
Grape  Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council  Domestic purpose, but some 
part of juice may be 
exported to Japan 
Peach  Michigan State University Extension  Domestic purpose   
Pear  Michigan State University Extension  Domestic purpose 
Plum  Michigan State University Extension  Domestic purpose 
Strawberry  Michigan State University Extension  Domestic purpose 2 
 
 
►How to obtain the Japanese MRLs list 
The original MRLs list written in Japanese can be obtained at 
http://www.mhlw.go.jp/topics/bukyoku/iyaku/syoku-anzen/zanryu2/dl/591228-1a.pdf. The 
English version of the list can be obtained at 
http://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/topics/foodsafety/positivelist060228/dl/r02.pdf and, 
http://www.mhlw.go.jp/english/topics/foodsafety/positivelist060228/dl/r03.pdf. 
The original MRLs list was sorted by chemical names. Thus, sorting out the list 
by commodities was needed. To do so, a very useful web site that belongs to the Japan 
Food Chemical Research Foundation 
(http://www.m5.ws001.squarestart.ne.jp/foundation/search.html) was found. The 
foundation is an extra-governmental organization of the MHLW and created the web site 
based on the original MRLs list for research purpose. Anyone can search the new Japanese 
regulation either by chemical name or by commodity at the web site. 
The United States also has its own MRLs for all foods. We obtained the US 
MRLs for cherry from Sherry Glick (Ms), US EPA/Office of Pesticide Programs, BPPD 
Environmental Stewardship Branch in Las Vegas, NV.  
 
►Northwest Michigan Commonly Used Products Compared with Regulation 
The lists of common insecticide and fungicide compounds used in Northwest 
apples and tart cherry production in 2004 and 2005 were obtained from James Bardenhagen, 
(Mr). Only trade names were available on the initial list, so adding the names of the 
chemicals was needed. Chemical names were obtained through a web search and the MRLs 
list was used to check the regulatory standard. Table 2 compares the commonly used 
Northwest Michigan products with regulation below. 
 
Table 2: Northwest Michigan Commonly Used Products Compared with Regulation 
Trade Name  Chemical Name  Japanese  MRLs 
(ppm) 
US MRLs   
(ppm) 
Fungicides      
Bravo Weather Stik    Chlorothalonil  0.5  0.5 
Bravo Ultrex    Chlorothalonil  0.5  0.5 
Captan 50WP  Captan  5  100 3 
 
Captec Captan  5   
*Carbamate Ferbam  N/A   
*Carbamate plus sulfur  Ferbam and Sulfur  N/A   
Dithane M-45, full rate  Mancozeb  5   
Dithane M-45, half rate  Mancozeb  5   
Elite 45DF  Tebuconazole  5   
Flint Trifloxystrobin  2   
Indar 75WSP  Fenbuconazole  1   
*Manzate 75  Manzozeb  N/A   
Nova 40W, high rate  Myclobutanil  4   
Nova 40W, lower rate  Myclobutanil  4   
Orbit 41.8 WP  Propiconazole  1   
*Penncozeb DF  Mancozeb  N/A   
*Penncozeb DF (1/2 rate)  Mancozeb  N/A   
*Pristine Boscalid  and 
Pyraclostrobin 
N/A  
Rovral 50WP  Iprodione  10   
Rubigan 1EC - high rate  Fenarimol  1  1 
Rubigan 1EC - lower rate  Fenarimol  1  1 
*Agri-Strep and 
Agrimycin 17 
Streptomycin 
sulfate 
N/A  
Sovran DF  Kresoxim-methyl  20   
*Sulfur microfine, high 
rate 
Sulfur N/A  
*Sulfur 95WP, low rate  Sulfur  N/A   
*Syllit 65WP (1.5 lb rate)  Dodine  N/A   
Syllit 65WP (2 lb rate)  Dodine  3   
Vangaurd WG  Cyprodinil  2   
*Ziram 76DF  Ziram  N/A  7 
Elevate Fenhexamid  10   
*Mycoshield Oxytetracycline  N/A  
*Agrimycin17 Streptomycin  N/A   4 
 
Sulfate 
Scala Pyrimethanil  10   
Insecticide     
Acramite Bifenazate  2  
Actara Thiamethoxam  5   
Agrimek .15EC  Abamectin  0.02   
Ambush Permethrin  5  3 
Apollo Clofantezine  0.1   
*Asana XL  Esfenvalerate  N/A   
Assail-high rate  Acetamiprid  5   
Assail Acetamiprid  5   
Avaunt Indoxacarb  2   
Danitol Fenpropathrin  5   
Dimethoate 400  Dimethoate  2  2 
*Dipel Bacillus 
thuringiensis 
(berliner), subsp. 
Kurstaki, strain 
SA-11 
N/A  
Esteem Pyriproxyfen  1   
Guthion 50WSP  Azinphos-methyl  2  2 
Imidan 70WP  Phosmet  0.1  10 
Intrepid Methoxyfenozide  2   
Kelthane 50W  Dicofol  3  5 
*Lannate 90SP  Methomyl  N/A   
Lorsban 50W  Chlorpyrifos  1  1 
Pounce Permethrin  5  3 
Provado 1.6F  Imidacloprid  3   
Nexter (E. red mite rate)  Pyridaben  2   
Nexter (2 spot rate)  Pyridaben  2   
Savey Hexythiazox  2   
Sevin 80S  Carbaryl  10  10 5 
 
Sevin XLR  Carbaryl  10  10 
Spintor Spinosad  0.2   
Thiodan Endosulfan  1   
Vendex 50WP  Fenbutatin-oxide  10   
Vydate 2L  Oxamyl  1   
Warrior Landa-cyhalothrin  0.1  0.75 
Calypso Thiacloprid  5   
Pounce 25WP/Ambush  Permethrin  5  3 
Thiodan 3EC  Endosulfan  1   
Zeal Etoxazole  1   
Note: Trade names that have * did not have chemical names in the MRL list. 
 
►The Risk Avoidance and Mitigation Program (RAMP) Project 
The title of the RAMP project was “Reduced Risk Pest Management Systems for 
US Tart Cherry Production.” The main objective of the project was to develop an integrated 
pest management (IPM) system for cherry production in Michigan.   
In the project, reduced risk insecticides were tested for ability to control tart cherry 
pests in a statewide on-farm trial. A total of nine sites were established for this study and 
are located in the three key tart cherry regions of Michigan. Two ten-acre blocks were 
established on each site. One block received reduced risk insect control strategies (RAMP 
block). Control decisions in the RAMP block were based on insect monitoring and scouting. 
A second ten-acre block was used as a comparison and was managed using each grower’s 
standard pest control strategies (COMP block).   
Lists of the pesticides using in the RAMP experiments in tart cherry production 
from 2004 to 2006 were collected from the spray records of participating growers. Table 3 
is the COMP experimental blocks compared with regulation and table 4 is the RAMP 
experimental blocks compared with regulation below. 6 
 
 
Table 3: COMP experimental blocks compared with regulation 
Trade Name  Chemical Name  Japanese MRLs (ppm) 
*Asana XL  Esfenvalerate  N/A 
Azinphosmethyl 50W 
Soluble 
Azinphosmethyl 2 
Bravo Ultrex  Chlorothalonil  0.5 
Bravo Weather Stik  Chlorothalonil  0.5 
Captan 50WP  Captan  5 
Captec Captan 5 
Cyprex Dodine 3 
Echo 90 DF  Chlorothalonil  0.5 
Elite 45DF  Tebuconazole  4 
*Equus DF  Chlorothalamid  N/A 
Ethrel Ethephon  10 
Flint Trifloxystrobin  2 
*GAA Gibberlic  Acid  N/A 
*Glyfos X-Tra  Glyphosate  N/A 
Guthion 50WSP  Azinsphosmethyl  2 
Imidan 70WP  Phosmet  0.1 
Indar 75 WSP  Fenbuconazole  1 
Indar wetting agent  Fenbuconazole  1 
Lorsban 50W  Chlorpyrifos  1 
Syllit 65WP  Dodine  3 
Nova 40W  Myclobutanil  4 
Perm-Up 3.2EC  Permethrin  5 
Pounce Permethrin  5 
Pristine Pyraclostrobin/boscalid  2 
*Pro-Gibb Gibberellic  acid  N/A 
Provado 1.6  Imidacloprid  3 
Roundup Glyphosate,  isopropylamine 
salt 
0.2 7 
 
*Sevin XLR  Carbaryl    N/A 
*Solubor Boron  N/A 
*Sulfur Sulfur  N/A 
*Super Spread 7000  Alkyl Aryl Polyoxye thylene 
Glycols 
N/A 
*Topsin  Thiophanate-methyl   N/A 
*Vangaurd WG  Cyprodimil  N/A 
*Warrior Lambda  cyhalothrin  N/A 
Ziram 76DF  Dithiocarbamate - Zinc Salt  7 
Note: Trade names that have * did not have chemical names in the MRL list. 
 
Table 4: RAMP experimental blocks compared with regulation 
Trade Name  Chemical Name  Japanese MRLs (ppm) 
*Actara Thimethoxam  N/A 
Avaunt Indoxacarb  2 
Captan 80WDG  Captan  5 
*Copper Copper  N/A 
*Cuprofix Disperss  Copper  N/A 
*Cuprofix Ultra 40  Basic copper sulfate  N/A 
Indar 75WSP  Fenbuconazole  1 
*Lime Lime  N/A 
Syllit 65WP  Dodine  3 
Note: Trade names that have * did not have chemical names in the MRL list. 

Japan MRL Regulation

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