U.S – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) fiscal year 2021 report on pesticide residue monitoring has indicated that pesticide residue levels in the U.S. food supply generally adhered to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tolerances.
The samples, which comprised of both human and animal foods, were tested for nearly 750 different pesticides and industrial compounds.
The FDA’s monitoring program ensures that foods comply with pesticide tolerances set by to safeguard public health.
According to the regulator, the COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected sample collection and analysis, with a 68 percent decrease in human food samples and a 78 percent decrease in animal food samples compared to pre-pandemic levels in FY 2019.
The reduced sample numbers in FY 2021 limited the scope of the conclusions drawn from the results.
Out of 1,367 human food samples collected, 96.7 percent of domestic samples and 89.3 percent of imported samples complied with federal regulations (below EPA tolerances).
Notably, 35 percent of domestic samples and 44.5 percent of imported samples had no detectable pesticide residues.
Out of 1,367 human food samples collected, 96.7 percent of domestic samples and 89.3 percent of imported samples complied with federal regulations (below EPA tolerances).
In some human food commodity groups, the violation rate was higher for import samples. The higher violation rate, as per the FDA, affirms the validity of the sampling design in targeting import commodities more likely to contain violative pesticide chemical residues, and the countries more likely to export them.
In the case of animal food samples (80 in total), 100 percent of domestic samples and 98.4 percent of imported samples were below EPA tolerances. Furthermore, 37.5 percent of domestic samples and 40.6 percent of imported samples showed no pesticide chemical residues.
Limited conclusions due to sample size
Due to the reduced sample numbers, the report emphasizes the need for cautious interpretation of the results.
While the findings for FY 2021 mirror trends observed in recent years, the low sample size limits the scope of definitive conclusions.
The data underscores the ongoing efforts of regulatory agencies to ensure the safety and compliance of the U.S. food supply, even in challenging circumstances.
The role of the EPA is to establish pesticide tolerances on the amount of a pesticide chemical residue a food can contain. Meanwhile, the FDA is responsible for enforcing those tolerances for domestic foods shipped in interstate commerce and foods imported into the United States (U.S.), employing a three-fold strategy.
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