EPA Sets Sesame Seed Pesticide Limits
Published Date: 5/29/2026
Rule
Summary
The EPA just set safe limits for propylene oxide pesticide residues on sesame seeds, dried turmeric, ginger, and dried peppers. This affects farmers, food makers, and pesticide companies starting May 29, 2026, with a chance to raise concerns by July 28, 2026. These new rules help keep our food safe without causing extra costs or delays.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
New 300 ppm PPO Limits on Five Crops
Starting May 29, 2026, EPA established legal residue limits of 300 parts per million (ppm) for propylene oxide (PPO) in or on ginger, dried; pepper, bell, dried; pepper, nonbell, dried; sesame seed; and turmeric, roots, dried. The agency says agricultural producers, food manufacturers, and pesticide manufacturers may be affected by these tolerances.
EPA Finds Tolerances Safe For All
EPA concluded there is a reasonable certainty of no harm to the general population, including infants and children, from aggregate exposure to propylene oxide residues and finalized the tolerances effective May 29, 2026. EPA also reduced the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) safety factor for PPO and related reaction products to 1X for infants and children.
PCH Tolerances Withdrawn; Reaction Products Covered
EPA is not establishing separate tolerances for the reaction product propylene chlorohydrin (PCH) because the petitioner withdrew that request; instead, the final PPO tolerances at 300 ppm were revised to explicitly include PPO reaction products (including PCH and propylene bromohydrin).
EPA: No Drinking Water or Residential Exposures
EPA states PPO and PCH residues are not expected in surface water or groundwater and there are no registered or proposed residential uses, so drinking water and residential exposure assessments were not conducted. For PCH in food, EPA estimated acute exposure would use 16% of the acute population-adjusted dose (aPAD) and chronic exposure would use 8.0% of the chronic PAD (cPAD) for children 1-2 years old.
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