Food-use pesticides

The Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) in the USA and the Pest Control Products Act (PCPA) in Canada mandate that potential risks to infants and small children be specifically addressed. When assessing the food use of a pesticide, in order to assure that there is a reasonable certainty that no harm will result to infants and children from aggregate exposure to the pesticide s chemical residues , the FQPA and PCPA in the case of threshold effects call for an additional tenfold margin of safety for the pesticide chemical residue and other sources of exposure to be applied to estimating risks to infants and children. A different margin of safety may be used only if, on the basis of reliable data, such a margin will be safe for infants and children. In Canada, these same requirements also apply to non-food-use pesticides. 

The regulation of carcinogenic pesticides on foods depends upon how EPA interprets and applies FIFRA, FFDCA Sections 408 and 409, and especially the Delaney clause in the FFDCA. Pesticide registrations are granted or denied under the FIFRA risk-benefit standard. However, food use pesticides cannot be registered, unless a tolerance or an exemption from a tolerance for the RAC was also granted under Section 408 of the FFDCA. 

New products, if shown to induce cancer in man or animals and if they need a 409 food additive tolerance, are kept off the market. This is true even if they replace older and less safe pesticides. No degree of demonstrated safety has led EPA to register oncogenic pesticides at this time. This is true even where the benefits of a new pesticide substantially outweigh the risks. The FIFRA risk-benefit part of the equation is not considered as part of the equation if an oncogenic food-use pesticide needs a 409 tolerance. Older, less efficacious, and riskier products remain on the market, however. 

Pesticide Analytical Manual, Food and Dmg Administration, Rockville, Md., Vol. I, 1990, and Vol. II, 1989. Includes multiresidue methods used by U.S. FDA to routinely check foods for pesticide residues, and single residue methods for certain pesticides not detected by any of the multiresidue methods. 

Analytical chemistry is an important field in the life sciences whether the main focus is health (pharmaceutical chemistry), nutrition (food chemistry), food supply (pesticide chemistry), environment (water chemistry, waste minimization, disposal or treatment) or lifestyle (textiles, mobility, cosmetics). Thus chemists (and other scientists) working analytically, whether they are trained originally as analytical chemists or whether they come from a different field and use analytical chemistry as support for their research area, play an important role in supporting the progress in the life sciences. 

Yurawecz MP, Puma BJ. 1986. Gas chromatographic determination of electron capture sensitive volatile industrial chemical residues in foods, using AOAC pesticide multiresidue extraction and cleanup procedures. J Assoc Off Anal Chem 69 80-86. 

US Environmental Protection Agency (1996) Pralle (hniprothrin S-41311) Request for registration for non-food use - review of toxicity database http //www.epa.gov/pesticides/ chemical/foia/cleared-reviews/reviews/004006/004006-004.pdf Accessed 15 Feb 2011... 

Weeds constitute one of the major problems in agriculture. They are an important constraint on yield in most crops across the world. These days, growers spend much money on weed control. About 6 million ton of herbicides was sold in the world in 2006 and herbicides are the most used pesticides they form approximately 38% of the total amount of pesticides (FAO 2006). Nowadays, an effort to tighten rules for authorization and application of pesticides, research and develop products that are target-specific, degrade quickly and do not accumulate in the food chain, exists in... 

FDA regulation of, 21 578-579 gelatin in, 12 442 high pressure treatment of, 13 436 processed, 18 32-35 shipping containers for, 18 37 Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA), 18 538-539 21 591 minor use pesticides under, 18-539-540 Food refrigeration, 21 558-566 importance of, 21 559 Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), 13 17... 

Hopper M, King JW. 1991. Enhanced supercritical fluid carbon dioxide extraction of pesticides from foods using pelletized diatomaceous earth. J Assoc Off Anal Chem 74(4) 661-666. 

Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and EPA Pesticides, non-food uses Balancing... 

Food safety, have to face the possible contamination produced during the whole process, including those from enviromnental contamination or used directly related to the food production (pesticides, veterinary drugs, contamination associated with cooking, processing, packaging, and conservation, among others). 

Successfully examples of applications have been reported for the analysis of pesticides in food using PLE during the extraction step [138-147]. Research had been conducted to optimize the effects of extraction temperature, number of extraction cycles, and various extraction solvent mixture compositions on the extraction effectiveness and recoveries of pesticides fi om food. Besides, cleanup sorbent material(s) can also be imbedded in the extraction cells so that cleanup can also be processed simultaneously with extraction. Although it has the advantages of low solvent consumption and short extraction period, the initial cost is high, large amount of unwanted matrix substances are co-extracted and some unstable compounds, such as endrin yielded low recoveries. 

It is furthermore noted that the TTC concepts, including the structure-based approaches, are derived from databases covering substances used as direct and indirect food additives, pesticides, and industrial chemicals, and cover toxic effects related to systemic exposure to these chemicals. In addition, it is underlined that TTC has not been developed for endpoints associated with direct contact such as irritation or sensitization. 

The term acceptable is used widely to describe safe levels of intake and is apphed for chemicals to be used in food production such as, e.g., food additives, pesticides, and veterinary dmgs. The term tolerable is applied for chemicals unavoidably present in a media such as contaminants in, e.g., drinking water and food. The term PTWI (Provisional Tolerable Weekly Intake) is generally used for contaminants that may accumulate in the body, and the weekly designation is used to stress the importance of limiting intake over a period of time for such substances. The tolerable intake is similar in definition and intent to terms such as Reference Dose and Reference Concentration (RfD/RfC), which are widely used by, e.g., the US-EPA. For some substances, notably pesticides, the ARID (Acute Reference Dose), is also established, often from shorter-term studies than those that would support the ADI. The ARfD is defined as the amount of a substance in food that can be consumed in the course of a day or at a single meal with no adverse effects. 

Chemical products are of vital importance to the economic and social well being of our society in terms of trade and employment. Numerous chemical substances are used in a broad range of products and processes. They also help to improve the health and quality of life of the population through new developments such as in pharmaceuticals, food safety, pesticides and in many other products. During or after their use, these substances are released to the environment to a varying extent and may lead to pollution. This results in both ecological and - due to unnecessary losses - economic disadvantages. 

As with the FFDCA, the FIFRA requires pesticide firms to conduct batteries of extensive testing to identify and characterize a candidate pesticide s bioavailability, distribution, metabolites, routes of excretion in experimental animals, and any adverse or toxic effects that the substance may cause, so that the safety of the pesticide can be assessed. In addition, in cases of pesticides intended to have food uses, extensive field trials must be conducted to characterize residues of the pesticide or metabolites thereof remaining on or in raw agricultural commodities. 

Published information shows that the total amount of pesticides used in agriculture and industry is increasing (1,2). As a consequence of the large quantities used, pesticides are present in all areas of the natural environment. Monitoring pesticides in food poses substantial analytical problems as the demand increases for more sensitive methods, in response to recent legislation in many countries (3). 

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