Three years after chlorpropham (CIPC) was officially banned in Belgium, new figures show that residue levels in potato storage warehouses have dropped significantly, with the majority of samples testing below detectable limits.

According to Belgapom, the Belgian potato industry association, 92% of the 120 warehouse samples taken during the 2023–2024 storage season contained no measurable trace of CIPC. In the remaining 8% of cases, residue levels ranged between 0.01 mg/kg and 0.18 mg/kg — all below the current temporary Maximum Residue Limit (tMRL) of 0.35 mg/kg in force under EU Regulation 2023/377.

The European Commission has allowed the continued use of this temporary threshold to avoid immediate disruptions in the market, despite CIPC no longer being authorised. This tMRL replaced the previous limit of 0.4 mg/kg established in 2021 through Regulation 2021/155. A further reduction to 0.2 mg/kg is expected in 2025.

Belgapom noted that the results are consistent with trends observed since the launch of its residue monitoring programme. “These findings confirm a steady decrease in CIPC residues since the active substance was banned,” the association stated.

The analysis campaign is coordinated annually with the support of the European potato processors’ association EUPPA, and executed in cooperation with Arvalis, the French agricultural institute. The anonymised sampling method ensures confidentiality for participating warehouses, encouraging broader sector participation.

Industry officials warn, however, that sustained cooperation from storage operators remains essential. If participation rates drop and data cannot support the existence of residual contamination, the EU could revert to the default MRL of 0.01 mg/kg — a level that would render many stored potatoes non-compliant and unmarketable.

The annual data collection, funded by Belgapom, is seen as a necessary tool to secure ongoing regulatory flexibility, while allowing time for warehouses to be fully decontaminated and avoid jeopardising commercial operations.