No room for complacency on CIPC levels

Three years after the formation of a stewardship group and introduction of a CIPC use code of best practice, maximum residue level (MRL) exceedances of sprout suppressant CIPC (chlorpropham) in stored potatoes are rare, but there is no room for complacency.

That was the message from Potato Council head of research and development and chairman of the potato industry CIPC Stewardship Group, Dr Mike Storey, who said there was still the occasional exceedance - three in 2010 - but lessons were on-going and incorporated within the Stewardship programme.

Up to 1.8 million tonnes of stored potatoes are treated with CIPC each year, and increased monitoring and surveillance by CRD had revealed most stored potatoes had no, or very low levels of CIPC residues.