1、 General testing items for fruits and Chinese standards

Fruit testing is usually based on national food safety standards and industry/product standards.

1. Pesticide residue limits

• Basic standard: GB 2763-2021 "National Food Safety Standard Maximum Residue Limits for Pesticides in Food" (latest version is 2021, including 2022 supplementary announcements). Hundreds of pesticide residue limits have been set for each fruit such as strawberries, apples, and citrus.

• Detection methods: GB 23200.8 (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry), GB/T 20769 (liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry), etc. are generally used.

• Key focus: commonly used pesticides such as carbendazim, chlorpyrifos, carbofuran, imidacloprid, and pyrazole.

2. Pollutant limit

• GB 2762-2022 "National Food Safety Standard - Limits of Contaminants in Food". Main testing:

  • Lead (Pb): The limit for fruits is 0.1 mg/kg (0.2 for berries and other small fruits).

  • Cadmium (Cd): Citrus and stone fruits have specific limits.

  • There are also requirements for arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), etc.

3. Fungal toxin limit

• GB 2761-2017 "Limits of Fungal Toxins in Food". Penicillin is mainly targeted at apples, hawthorn and their products (limited to 50 µ g/kg).

4. Heavy metals and others

• GB 5009 series methods for measuring lead, cadmium, total arsenic, etc.

• Nitrates/nitrites (according to product standards for some fruits).

5. Sensory and physicochemical levels

According to the product standards for fruits (for example):

• GB/T 10651-2008 Fresh Apples (Grade: Excellent, First Class, Second Class, with indicators including fruit diameter, color, defects, hardness, soluble solids).

• GB/T 12947-2008 Fresh Citrus.

• NY/T 844-2017 Green Food Temperate Fruits (stricter criteria).

• Testing items: single fruit weight, soluble solids (refractometer method), total acid, solid acid ratio, hardness (texture analyzer), skin color (colorimeter), etc.

2、 China's domestic fruit certification system

In the Chinese market, the following certifications are commonly used (voluntary, but have an impact on brand premium):

Entering large supermarkets such as Hema and Sam's usually requires providing a pesticide residue testing report (according to GB 2763 full or key items), and holding GAP or green/organic certification can replace some items.

3、 International Fruit Certification and Standards

1. Codex Alimentarius Commission (CODEX)

• CXS 294-2009 "Code of Standards for Fresh Fruits" (framework), as well as specific fruit standards (such as apples and citrus).

• CXS 193 General Standard for Contaminants and Toxins in Food.

• Maximum Residue Limits (CXLs) for CXM 2 pesticides.
  Export reference, but specific market compliance with destination country regulations.

2. GlobalG.A.P. (Global Good Agricultural Practices)

• The most universal fruit certification in the world, covering food safety, traceability, environmental protection, and employee health.

• Version: The latest version is the 6th edition (effective September 2022).

• Testing: pesticide residues (usually requiring multiple residue scanning according to EU or Japanese allowed lists), heavy metals, water quality, product aging. The certificate is recognized by retail giants in Europe, North America, and Japan.

3. Organic Certification (International)

• EU Organic (EC 834/2007) and new regulations (EU 2018/848).

• USDA Organic (7 CFR Part 205).

• JAS Organic (Japan).
  Annual certification is required to prohibit the use of synthetic chemicals and test for residues.

4. BRC/IFS/SQF (Packaging Agricultural Products)

• For pre packaged fruits (fresh cut, frozen), retailers often require BRCGS Food (UK), IFS Food (Germany/France), SQF (USA). Certification includes prerequisite schemes HACCP、 Fraud prevention and control, pesticide residue testing and auditing of suppliers' fruit raw materials and finished products.

4、 Fruit pesticide residue testing standards of major exporting countries (must be noted)

1. European Union

• Regulation (EC) 396/2005 and subsequent revisions have set MRLs for different fruits (default 0.01 mg/kg for many unapproved substances). Export to the EU must undergo EU MRL testing. The commonly used QuEChERS method is LC-MS/MS/GC-MS/MS.

• Pesticides of special concern: Chlorpyrifos, Chlorpyrifos, Chlorpyrifos, Triazophos, Propionium Bromide, etc. The EU often lowers MRL.

2. United States

• EPA 40 CFR Part 180 (Pesticide Residue Limits). Imported fruits comply with FIFRA regulations. The FDA conducts spot checks through the Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program.

• Key crops: grapes, apples, citrus, etc. The inspection items include organic phosphorus, amino acid esters, etc.

• Recommend obtaining a laboratory test report recognized by USDA before entry.

3. Japan

• The Food Hygiene Law (Law No. 56 of Showa 57) adopts the "Uniform Tolerance System". The vast majority of pesticides are set at a standard of 0.01 ppm.

• Special projects for fruits: Imidacloprid, Imidacloprid, Chlorpromazine, etc. The detection requires the use of official Japanese methods.

4. South Korea

• Pesticide residue standard MFDS Notice (Notice from the Korean Food and Drug Safety Agency). Starting from 2024, a Positive List System (PLS) will be implemented for imported fruits, with a default of 0.01 mg/kg if no MRL is specified.

• Common excessive drugs: carbendazim, thiamethoxam, cypermethrin.

5. Other regions

• Southeast Asia (such as Singapore and Malaysia) often refers to CODEX or EU standards.

• The Middle East (Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates) adopts GSO standards (Gulf Cooperation Council), which are close to CODEX.

5、 Inspection and Quarantine Standards for Exported Fruits

In addition to safety indicators, fruit exports also need to meet plant quarantine requirements (to prevent the introduction of harmful organisms):

• IPPC International Phytosanitary Measures Standard (ISPM 15): Requirements for Wood Packaging Handling.

• Chinese outbound fruit inspection and quarantine: According to the "Measures for the Supervision and Administration of Outbound Fruit Inspection and Quarantine" (General Administration of Customs Order No. 243), on-site inspection and pesticide residue monitoring are required, and cold treatment/fumigation is required for exports to specific countries (such as citrus fruits exported to the United States and apples exported to Japan).

• Main quarantine treatment standards:

  • Cold treatment: Cydia pomonella - temperature ≤ 1.11 ° C for more than 14 days.

  • Bromomethane fumigation (Australia, New Zealand, India).

6、 International standard for fruit grading and testing methods