Exhibition Trade Fair cashew nut 2021 international food industry

Food safety certification combined with reliable and frequent laboratory testing helps create a positive image for cashew nut producers wishing to export to Europe. Sustainable production and the implementation of corporate social responsibility measures will help emerging suppliers gain an additional advantage. The toughest existing competitors for new suppliers of shelled cashew nuts are Vietnam and India. Vietnamese and Indian companies have the power to keep prices of cashew nuts relatively low because of their large-scale production and mechanised processing methods.

1. What requirements must cashew nuts comply with to be allowed on the European market?

What are the mandatory requirements?

All foods, including cashew nuts, sold in the European Union [the EU] must be safe. Imported products are no exception. Additives must be approved. Limits are placed on levels of harmful contaminants, such as pesticide residues and mycotoxins. It should also be clear from the labelling that nuts can cause allergies.

Contaminant control in cashew nuts

The European Commission Regulation sets maximum levels for certain contaminants in food products. This regulation is frequently updated and, apart from the limits set for general foodstuffs, a number of specific limits apply to contaminants in particular products, including cashew nuts. The most common requirements regarding contaminants in cashew nuts relate to the presence of mycotoxins, pesticide residues, micro-organisms, and heavy metals.

Mycotoxins

The presence of mycotoxins [aflatoxins, in particular] is the main reason why nuts may be banned on the European market. The level of aflatoxin B1 in cashew nuts must not exceed 5 μg/kg and the total aflatoxin content [B1, B2, G1 and G2] must not exceed 10 μg/kg. However, the incidence of aflatoxins is lower in cashew nuts than in other nuts, such as groundnuts. Most, but not all, sources agree that aflatoxin is not an issue in cashew nut production. The main reason for this is that their shells contain cardol, which inhibits the development of aflatoxins.

Pesticide residues

The European Union has set maximum residue levels [MRLs] for pesticides found in and on food products. Products containing a higher concentration of pesticide residues than allowed are withdrawn from the European market. However, it is fairly uncommon to encounter excessive levels of pesticide residues in the cashew nut trade. This is because the shell, in which residues may accumulate, is removed before the nuts are imported into Europe.

The EU regularly publishes a list of pesticides which are approved for use in the European Union. This list is updated frequently. In 2020, the European Commission set the following pesticide residue limits and effective dates for cashew nuts [see Table 1]

Table 1: The European Union pesticide limits changes relevant for cashew nuts during 2020

Pesticide name

Residue limit

Adoption date

Triasulfuron

0.01 ppm

18.05.2020

Prochloraz

0.01 ppm

04.09.2020

European Food Safety Authority [EFSA] also proposed decrease of the MRLs for the following pesticides relevant for cashew nuts: glyphosate, spinetoram, pyridaben and fluopyram.

One of the most recent changes adopted in 2020 is the level of chlorates, which is set to 0.1 for all tree nuts including cashews. Legislation on level of chlorates entered into force in June 2020. In the production of cashew nuts, chlorates are not typical pesticides but they can come in contact with cashews by the use of chlorinated water and through chlorinated detergents. Therefore, cashew nut exporters must control the use of water and detergents in their production facilities.

Microbiological contaminants

The presence of very low levels of salmonella and E. coli in ready-to-eat or processed foods, including cashews, is an important cause of foodborne illness. Tree nut processors should consider salmonella and E. coli as major public health risks in their hazard analysis and critical control point [HACCP] plans.