Agricultural pesticide use and food safety: California's model

作者：Zhang Minghua^*; Zeiss Michael R; Geng Shu

来源：Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 2015, 14(11): 2340-2357.

DOI：10.1016/S2095-3119(15)61126-1

• food safety
• food security
• pesticide use
• residue monitoring
• environmental impacts
• IPM
• tolerances
• maximum residue limits (MRLs)

Pesticides have been an essential part of agriculture to protect crops and livestock from pest infestations and yield reduction for many decades. Despite their usefulness, pesticides could pose potential risks to food safety and the environment as well as human health. This paper reviews the positive benefits of agricultural pesticide use as well as some potential negative impacts on the environment and food safety. In addition, using the case of California, we discuss the need for both residue monitoring and effective pest management to promote food safety. Twenty years' pesticide residue data from California's pesticide residue monitoring program were analyzed. Results showed that more than 95% of food samples were in compliance with US pesticide residue standards (tolerances). However, certain commodities from certain sources had high percentages of residues above tolerance levels. Even when residues above tolerance levels were detected, most were at levels well below 1 mg kg(-1), and most posed negligible acute health risk. However, a few detected residues had the potential to cause health effects. Therefore, establishing an effective food residue monitoring program is important to ensure food quality throughout the marketplace.

• 出版日期2015
• 单位西北农林科技大学