Pesticides And Our Foods
February 7, 2017
In the US, only 2% of the citizens produce our food supply. In order to feed the world, our farmers have adopted the use of Integrated Pest Management or IPM. IPM is the coordinated use of pest and environmental information and available pest control methods to prevent unacceptable levels of damage by the most economical means with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment. Simply put, farmers scout the fields, knowing what pests cause economic harm to their crops. They have thresholds set to determine when to act to control the pests. They use cultural, biological, manual, mechanical and chemical means to control pests. This strategy reduces pesticides in our environment and on our foods.
The EPA, along with FDA and USDA, work to set pesticide tolerances in foods and monitor our foods for pesticide residues. Tolerances are based on laboratory testing looking at short-term and long-term risks. There is also a “safety” factor built into the Tolerance to account for differences in humans versus laboratory animals and differences in sensitivity levels among humans.
Our food supply is assessed annually through the USDA Pesticide Data Program or PDP. The PDP assesses pesticide residues on conventionally grown and organic foods to insure that our foods’ pesticide residues fall well below the tolerances set by EPA. Consumers are still encouraged to wash produce to further reduce pesticide residues and to reduce bacterial contamination as well. Organic produce is not always free of pesticide residues or bacterial contamination and should therefore be washed as well.
The results of the 2010 PDP showed that only a quarter of a percent of foods tested had residues exceeding the established tolerances. In 2011, the results were similar. Thirty-two of the 11,894 samples had pesticide residues above the established tolerances. Of those 32 samples, 25 were imports and 7 were domestic. FDA is responsible for enforcing pesticide residue standards.
So what can you take from all of this information? EPA sets tolerances for pesticide residues. USDA tests foods for residues. FDA enforces these standards. So, the industry is highly regulated in order to provide safe food to consumers. Imported produce violates tolerances more often than domestic produce. Whether the source is domestic, imported, conventional or organic, consumers should always wash fresh fruits and vegetables to decrease pesticide residues as well as bacterial contamination.