Plant-Pesticides; Proposed Exemption From the Requirement of a Tolerance Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act for Viral Coat Proteins Produced in Plants

Resumo

This document proposes an exemption from the requirement of a tolerance under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) for residues of coat proteins from plant viruses when these coat proteins are produced as plant-pesticides in plants or plant parts used as raw agricultural commodities. Viral coat proteins are a specific class of pesticidal substances that can be produced in plants. These pesticidal substances, along with the genetic material necessary to produce them are designated ``plant-pesticides'' by EPA. EPA's proposal for exempting coat proteins from plant viruses from the requirement of a tolerance is based on virus-infected plants having always been part of the human and domestic animal food supply without detectable adverse health effects. Thus, EPA believes that a tolerance for viral coat proteins produced in plants is not necessary to protect the public health.