Eurofins Agro UK has launched a new test to help potato growers with pesticide residue testing.
The test can be booked online and, the agricultural analytics service provider said, comes at a time when some farm assurance schemes have implemented the need to test every year, or to have an evidence-based justification for fewer tests.
The potato industry is expected to make significant changes to the way potatoes are stored after the loss of approval for chlorprophasm (CIPC), according to the company.
This may include the use of other chemicals like maleic hydrazide and 1.4 dimethylnaphthalene.
Eurofins Agro offers UKAS-accredited pesticide residue tests for potatoes which costs £160/kg.
Sophie Cath of Eurofins Agro UK said: “The tests can be booked and paid for online, and results from samples that are sent directly to our laboratory take between three and four weeks.”
The regulation of residues uses the system of statutory Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) and these represent the maximum safe amounts of residue likely to remain in food products when a pesticide has been used correctly by growers adhering to good agricultural practice (GAP).
“By using our tests, growers will receive vital data to ensure products are fit for purpose and will be able to provide evidence to regulators and consumers that potatoes are safe by demonstrating that any residues present are below regulatory limits, or MRLs,” Cath said.
