Dear Sir or Madam

The consumer demands the lowest possible amount of pesticide use also with the conventionally grown fruit. The German retailers, particularly the leading food discounters, have installed new quality specifications which we are obliged to comply with.

All participants involved who are not able to come up to these requests will have to face less chances to find their market Shares.

The specifications are as follows:

1. Compliance with the German legal standards (MRL: max. residue Level)

2. Compliance with the international “Acute Reference Doses” (ARfD)

3. There are no more than 3 (resp. 4 or 5) different substances allowed in fruit. This means that when using pesticides which combine different active ingredients, each ingredient will count as one residue. List of the maximum quantity of residues per product class:

4. Maximum Level of nitrate

The maximum level of the nitrate must correspond to the usual figures in the market but especially following values must be observed without fail:

5. The dectected residues in their sum may not exceed 70 % of the German MRL´s in the addition of the percentual share, additional not more then 1/3 German MRL for each substance

6. The detected residues in their sum may not exceed 80 % of the international ARfD levels in the addition of the percentual share

7. No pesticide use in organic fruit at all

Fruit which does not comply with these specifications will be disposed from further distribution and we will be forced to charge the suppliers with all subsequently occuring costs.We hope that our requirements will find your understanding and will lead to a further neccessary sensitisation for these issues in the food business. We will all benefit from an improved situation with regard to the use of pesticides, that is why we kindly ask you for your positive support in this matter.