FAO/PL:1969/M/17/1
WHO/FOOD ADD./70.38
1969 EVALUATIONS OF SOME PESTICIDE RESIDUES IN FOOD
THE MONOGRAPHS
Issued jointly by FAO and WHO
The content of this document is the result of the deliberations of the
Joint Meeting of the FAO Working Party of Experts and the WHO Expert
Group on Pesticide Residues, which met in Rome, 8 - 15 December 1969.
FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
Rome, 1970
LINDANE
Explanation
The pesticide was evaluated in 1966, as gamma-BHC (FAO/WHO, 1967b),*
and again in 1967 (FAO/WHO, 1968b).* Further data were considered in
1968 and summarized in a monograph addendum (FAO/WHO, 1969b).*
The Fourth Session of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues
referred back to the Joint meeting various questions pertaining to
previous recommendations on this compound. These matters were
considered as follows:
RESIDUES IN FOOD AND THEIR EVALUATION
Milk and milk products
The 1967 Joint Meeting recommended practical residue limits of 0.004
ppm for whole milk and 0.1 ppm for milk products on a fat basis.
Discussions at meetings of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues
have suggested that these levels should be doubled; accordingly, the
increased levels have been sent out to member governments for comment.
As no comments on these higher levels had been received, the Fourth
Session of the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues agreed to send
out the recommendations again for government comment, pointing out the
discrepancy between their recommendations and those of the Joint
Meeting.
The Meeting reviewed the available data and agreed that the previous
recommendation, i.e. 0.004 and 0.1 should be maintained until such
time as data are available that might justify a higher level.
Meat
The recommendation for a practical residue limit in meat at 2.0 ppm on
a fat basis was made in 1968 (FAO/WHO, 1969b),* to allow for the
treatment of pastures. No information additional to that in the
monographs had been furnished to support the necessity for direct
application of lindane to animals, although data were available on
residues resulting therefrom.
Accordingly, the Meeting recommended that the limit of 2.0 ppm should
be maintained as a practical residue limit and not converted into a
tolerance unless data were furnished supporting the necessity for
direct application to animals.
Poultry
The report on the 1966 Joint Meeting (FAO/WHO, 1967b)* contained a
recommendation for a practical residue limit of lindane in meat and
poultry at 0.7 ppm (fat basis). Although the level in meat was raised,
* See Appendix II
following the presentation of appropriate data, at the 1968 Joint
Meeting, the unaltered recommendation for a level of 0.7 ppm in
poultry (fat basis) was not recorded through error in the report
(FAO/WHO, 1969b).* The Meeting reviewed this situation and agreed that
the monograph on lindane should be amended to show a recommendation
for a practical residue limit of 0.7 ppm in poultry. (This amendment
is recorded in the 'Summary of Recommendations' at Appendix I to the
Report on the 1969 Meeting (FAO/WHO, 1970a).*
FURTHER WORK OR INFORMATION REQUIRED TO ENABLE PRACTICAL RESIDUE
LIMITS TO BE REVIEWED
1. Data on the occurrence of lindane as a practical residue in milk
and milk products.
2. Information on the necessity of applying lindane directly to
animals, together with data on the residues resulting from such
applications.
* See Appendix II