Who has information about food safety?

Food production is related to the national economy and people's livelihood, and food safety involves thousands of households. In order to ensure food safety, it is necessary to establish and improve laws and standards related to food safety. It has become an internationally recognized and effective method to set the limit standard (maximum residue limit standard) for the allowable residues of pesticides, fertilizers and other harmful substances in food. As one of the technical standards of non-tariff barriers, it plays an increasingly important role in the international trade of agricultural products.

I. Technical Barriers to Food Safety

The maximum residue limit standard is a "technical barrier" to protect human health and ensure food safety. The determination of the maximum residue limit is based on the premise that there is no doubt that the residues of related substances in food can ensure human health and safety. The high yield of agricultural products and food safety are often contradictory and unified: data show that chemical pesticides and fertilizers account for 70% of the total harvest, which helps to ensure the safe supply of food, but the wrong use of pesticides and fertilizers will endanger human and animal health and ecosystems. The use of chemical pesticides will not only bring direct harm, but also form high residues in the body through biological enrichment, thus endangering human health through the food chain. The "three causes" of residues (carcinogenic, teratogenic and mutagenic) have attracted great attention. In less than 20 years, the incidence of cancer in China has increased by 69%, the mortality rate has increased by 29.4%, and the number of deformed children has increased. Therefore, establishing strict maximum residue standards is an important measure to ensure food safety, protect health and build a "safe vegetable basket project". Clear technical standards can fairly protect food safety and prevent market access.

Second, the green barriers to international trade

The maximum residue limit standard is a "green barrier" of new trade conservatism in international trade. Although an important purpose of the WTO is to "reach a mutually beneficial agreement, substantially reduce and eliminate tariffs and other trade barriers, and eliminate discriminatory treatment in international trade", in practice, all countries make full use of the terms of the agreement from the perspective of safeguarding their own interests. As the "Maximum Residue Limit Standard" and related "Sampling Procedure and Testing Method Standard" in food belong to "food safety" and "environmental protection" measures, according to the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade and the Agreement on Sanitary and Quarantine Measures for Animals and Plants of the Uruguay Round of WTO, each country has the right to take such measures within the scope it deems appropriate to protect the health of its own people, animals and plants and the environment. Therefore, while reducing tariffs and other non-tariff trade barriers, many developed countries often adopt non-tariff high-demand technical standards. In a sense, the barriers to international trade in agricultural products have evolved into "green barriers" dominated by "environmental standards" and "food standards" (also known as environmental barriers, green trade barriers, technical barriers, etc.). ), this is the resurgence of trade conservatism and the rise of new trade conservatism with "green barriers" as the main means. "Maximum residue limit standard" and related "sampling procedure and testing method standard" are the most commonly used "green barrier" standards, and developed countries often use these standards to restrict imports and protect their agricultural products markets from external shocks.

Facing the new situation of China's entry into WTO, it is of great significance to study and master the food safety standards of major international agricultural products markets for China to take the initiative in international trade and occupy a place in the international agricultural products trade market. Only by knowing ourselves and ourselves and organizing the production and processing of export agricultural products in a targeted manner can we ensure that the product quality meets the food safety standards of importing countries. For example, in recent years, China's tea exports to the EU have dropped a lot, mainly because fenvalerate (fenvalerate and ES- fenvalerate) seriously exceeded the standard, and the maximum residue limit in the current EU standard is 0.05 mg/kg. It was found that the maximum residue limits of deltamethrin and cypermethrin were higher, which were 5.00 mg/kg and 0.50 mg/kg respectively. Using these two pesticides instead of fenvalerate can not only achieve the same plant protection effect, but also easily pass the EU standard. This method has become one of the important means for China to export tea to the EU. At the same time, international food safety standards can be used as a reference for China to formulate and improve relevant standards. By comparing the pesticides commonly used in China with trading partners, the maximum residue limits and detection methods of pesticides that meet international standards can be determined from high to strict, which can effectively shut out agricultural products that exceed the standard and protect and develop China's agriculture.

Third, the rising green barriers.

The maximum residue limit standard has become the main means of the new "trade war".

In the international trade competition, the operable environmental protection and food hygiene standards are becoming stricter and stricter, and the actual technical barriers are getting higher and higher. At present, in the international trade of agricultural products, not only the residue of related substances is detected, but also the standards of ecological environment and production conditions have become the quality and safety standards of agricultural products. "Product quality problems caused by unqualified ecological environment and production conditions" are the main reasons that hinder the export of agricultural products in China. In recent years, China's tea exports have suffered setbacks, which is related to stricter maximum residue standards in tea importing areas. Since July 1 2000, the EU has implemented a new maximum residue standard for imported tea, and the number of inspection items has been expanded from 6 in the 1980s to 62 now, which has seriously restricted the export of Chinese tea to the EU.

Fourth, constantly raise technical barriers.

The maximum residue limit standard is constantly revised and improved in the needs of industry and society. On the one hand, the international agricultural products market has developed into a "buyer's market", and in order to protect the domestic agricultural products market, the technical standards in line with WTO principles are becoming more and more strict. On the other hand, with the improvement of living standards, people's new requirements for food safety, new research and new understanding of residue hazards force technical standards to be constantly revised and improved in practice to keep up with the pace of world scientific and technological development.

The construction of food safety standards in China started late. For a long time, it has mainly focused on the increase of agricultural products, and the quality of agricultural products has not been placed in an important position. 10 years, with the rapid development of economy, the pace of building the maximum limit standard of pesticide residues has been obviously accelerated. China promulgated the national standards for residue limits of 50 pesticides related to fruits, and formulated the national standards for eco-environmental quality of producing areas of pollution-free agricultural products, quality standards for pollution-free vegetable products, safety requirements for pollution-free vegetables, guidelines for the use of fertilizers in the production of pollution-free vegetables, guidelines for the rational use of pesticides, and the national standards for maximum residue limits of 79 pesticides in 32 agricultural and sideline products, with a total of 197 items. However, the methods and standards of residue detection in China are not coordinated and systematic enough. Among the 50 pesticide residue limit standards related to fruits, there are still 2/kloc-0 pesticides without inspection procedures and methods, so it is impossible to detect residues and evaluate whether they exceed the maximum limit standards. Therefore, when revising and perfecting China's technical standards, we should pay attention to the coordination and operability of "determination method standard" and "maximum limit standard"; It is necessary to implement China's environmental strategy in a targeted manner, and systematically establish and improve the technical standard system that can truly protect and develop China's agricultural products market; It is necessary to shorten the gap with international standards such as the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization as soon as possible, and to be in line with international standards as soon as possible.