A new microbe used in farming no longer needs safety limits on food

US environmental regulators have exempted a specific microbe, Priestia megaterium strain SYM36613, from needing a maximum residue limit on food. This means farmers can use products containing this microbe on all food crops without worrying about how much of it remains at harvest.

Before this rule, any new substance applied to food crops had to prove it was safe enough to have a "tolerance" or maximum permissible level. This process is expensive and slow, often blocking new biological products from reaching the market. Now, this specific microbe can be used more freely, potentially making it easier for similar biological products to gain approval in the future.