EPA Reviews Food Residue Rules for Hydrogen Cyanide
Published Date: 6/9/2025
Proposed Rule
Summary
The EPA is updating rules about how much pesticide residue is allowed on food, focusing on hydrogen cyanide and a few others. Farmers, food makers, and pesticide companies should pay attention because these changes keep food safe and fair. You’ve got until August 8, 2025, to share your thoughts before the new rules kick in—no extra costs, just smarter safety checks!
Analyzed Economic Effects
10 provisions identified: 7 benefits, 2 costs, 1 mixed.
180‑Day Adaptation Window for Exporters
If the final rule lowers or revokes a tolerance, EPA proposes to keep the existing tolerance in effect for 180 days (about 6 months) after the final rule is published in the Federal Register so exporters in WTO member countries can adapt to the new requirements.
Revoking Specific 2,4‑DB Tolerances (Dec 8, 2025)
EPA proposes to revoke the tolerances for 2,4‑DB on Clover, forage; Clover, hay; Peppermint, tops; and Spearmint, tops, and is establishing an expiration date of December 8, 2025 for these tolerances.
New Ethofumesate Tolerances for Feed and Grain
EPA proposes new ethofumesate tolerances for indirect or inadvertent residues: Animal feed, nongrass, group 18 at 1.5 ppm; Grain, cereal, forage, hay, stover, and straw, group 16-22 at 1.5 ppm; and Vegetable, legume, forage and hay, group 7-22 at 0.5 ppm.
Removal of Ethofumesate Tolerance for Beet Sugar Tops
EPA proposes to remove the ethofumesate tolerance for 'Beet, sugar, tops' at 4.0 ppm and is establishing an expiration date of December 8, 2025 for that tolerance because it is no longer a significant livestock feed item or recognized human food.
New Carboxin Tolerances for Several Hays and Byproducts
EPA proposes new carboxin tolerances: Barley, hay at 0.2 ppm; Cotton, gin byproducts at 3 ppm; Oat, hay at 0.2 ppm; and Wheat, hay at 0.2 ppm. (Also revises 'Canola, seed' to 'Rapeseed, seed' at 0.03 ppm in the regulatory text.)
Import Tolerances for Thiobencarb on Lettuce and Celery
EPA proposes to establish import tolerances for thiobencarb on Celery, Endive, Lettuce, head, and Lettuce, leaf at 0.2 ppm and notes there are no U.S. registrations for these commodities (these tolerances are to ensure import coverage).
Wheat Hay Tolerance Increase for Flucarbazone‑Sodium
EPA proposes to modify the flucarbazone‑sodium tolerance for Wheat, hay from 0.10 ppm to 0.2 ppm to support a 15-day grazing/harvest interval.
Who may be affected (NAICS list)
You may be affected if you are an agricultural producer, food manufacturer, or pesticide manufacturer. The notice lists NAICS codes as examples: Crop production (111), Animal production (112), Food manufacturing (311), and Pesticide manufacturing (32532).
Propylene Oxide Crop Group and Commodity Updates
EPA proposes to revise propylene oxide tolerances, including changing 'Fig' to 'Fig, dried' and updating the nut crop group to 'Nut, tree, group 14-12' at 300 ppm (covering previously listed nuts). The rule lists specific ppm for several dried commodities (e.g., Garlic, dried 300 ppm; Fig, dried 3 ppm).
EPA Certifies No Significant RFA Impact on Small Entities
EPA certifies under the Regulatory Flexibility Act that this action will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities, based on prior analyses and a 2001 memorandum discussed in the rule.
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Key Dates
Department and Agencies
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