# 2026-00545: EPA Sets Permethrin Limits for Dragon Fruit and Arugula—Hungry Yet?

2026-00545, Permethrin; Pesticide Tolerances, is a Federal Register rule from Environmental Protection Agency published 2026-01-14, effective 2026-01-14 (as of 2026-06-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-00545
- As of: 2026-06-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2026-00545
- Title: Permethrin; Pesticide Tolerances
- Type: Rule
- Agencies: Environmental Protection Agency
- Citation: 91 FR 1396
- Published: 2026-01-14
- Effective: 2026-01-14
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: no
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-06-11

## In one line

EPA Sets Permethrin Limits for Dragon Fruit and Arugula—Hungry Yet?

## Summary

The EPA just set new safety limits for permethrin pesticide residues on dragon fruit, certain types of corn, and leafy greens like arugula. Farmers, food makers, and pesticide companies should take note because these changes start January 14, 2026. If anyone wants to challenge the rule, they have until March 16, 2026, to speak up—no extra costs announced, just clearer rules to keep food safe!

## Abstract

This regulation establishes a tolerance for residues of permethrin in or on the food and feed commodities of dragon fruit (pitaya) as well as crop group expansions to field corn subgroup 15-22C and sweet corn subgroup 15-22D, and crop group conversions to leafy greens subgroup 4-16A, including tolerances for arugula, garden cress, and upland cress. The Interregional Research Project No. 4 (IR-4), requested this tolerance under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).

## Effects PRIA read

- New permethrin limits on specific crops: benefit, medium. EPA established legal limits (tolerances) for permethrin residues on several crops effective January 14, 2026. The rule sets arugula at 50 parts per million (ppm), garden cress at 50 ppm, upland cress at 50 ppm, dragon fruit at 3 ppm, field corn subgroup 15-22C at 0.05 ppm, leafy greens subgroup 4-…
- Removal of some existing permethrin tolerances: cost, low. As of January 14, 2026, EPA removes certain previously listed tolerances from 40 CFR 180.378. The rule removes tolerances for corn, field, grain at 0.05 ppm; corn, pop, grain at 0.05 ppm; leafy greens subgroup 4A at 20 ppm; lettuce, head at 20 ppm; spinach at 20 ppm; and corn, sweet, kernel plus co…
- Dragon fruit tolerance set higher than requested: benefit, medium. EPA established the dragon fruit (pitaya) permethrin tolerance at 3 ppm rather than the 1.5 ppm requested by the petitioner. The 3 ppm value is based on the OECD per-trial average MRL calculation.
- Leafy greens tolerances increased and new crop listings: benefit, medium. EPA converted crop groups and raised the tolerance level for leafy greens: the prior leafy greens subgroup 4A tolerance of 20 ppm is replaced by a 50 ppm tolerance for leafy greens subgroup 4-16A. EPA also established individual tolerances of 50 ppm for arugula, garden cress, and upland cress as pa…
- EPA finds tolerances safe; children's safety factor set at 1X: benefit, high. EPA concluded there is a reasonable certainty of no harm to the general population and to infants and children from the established permethrin tolerances. The Agency continues to apply a reduced Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) safety factor of 1X rather than the default 10X and found no cumulati…
- U.S. tolerances differ from international Codex limits: cost, low. EPA notes that U.S. tolerances are harmonized with Canada and Codex where feasible but may differ when U.S. field trial data require higher or lower limits. For example, EPA sets a tolerance for corn grain at 0.05 ppm while Codex lists 2 ppm for the same commodity.

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## Sources
- [2026-00545 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/01/14/2026-00545/permethrin-pesticide-tolerances)
- [2026-00545 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-01-14/pdf/2026-00545.pdf)

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- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-00545 (as of 2026-06-11).