No health risk from formetanate in strawberries

The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) was informed in April about the results of a study on the pesticide contamination of strawberries. Residue levels of the active pesticide substance formetanate of 0.37 milligram per kilogram strawberries were detected in one sample. Based on data from the VELS study1 this leads in children to an estimated intake of 0.0058 mg formetanate per kilogram body weight and, hence, to an exceeding of the acute reference dose (ARfD) for the active substance of 0.005 mg per kilogram body weight by 15 percent. BfR undertook a risk assessment which revealed that an acute threat to the health of children from strawberries with formetanate residues of 0.37 mg/kg can be ruled out.