HE-636
The United States Department of Agriculture, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the National Cancer Institute, and the American Cancer Society strongly recommend that Americans eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, and grain products. Scientists believe that consuming such a diet will help lower the risk of heart disease, obesity, and some cancers. Fortunately, while health experts are urging us to increase our consumption of fruits, vegetables, and grains, the American food production system is supplying year-round access to an abundance of reasonably priced produce.
One factor contributing to the availability of a wide variety of high quality produce is the judicious use of pesticides. Pesticides help farmers and food processors increase volume, extend shelf-life, and improve the appearance of many foods. However, despite the numerous benefits of pesticides, their use worries many people.
American consumers list pesticide residues as a serious food safety concern. Results of a recent survey indicate that 4 out of every 10 individuals believe the potential health risks from pesticide residues in food is greater than the health benefits of eating fresh fruits and vegetables. These fears are at odds with the scientific and medical communities who view the risks associated with pesticide residues in food as very small.
Pesticide: Anything that inhibits or kills a pest.
Residue: Traces of pesticide remaining on or in food.
Tolerance: The maximum residue level of a specific pesticide legally allowed on or in a food or food ingredient.
A pesticide is anything that inhibits or kills pests such as weeds, molds and fungi, insects, and rodents. We generally think of pesticides as complex chemical compounds that are manufactured in factories and deliberately applied to the environment. But many plants produce natural pesticides as a means of protecting themselves from weeds, or from insects, disease, or other pests.
Although we may not realize it, many of us routinely use pesticides in and around our homes. Since all pesticides must include an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registration number (i.e. EPA Reg. No. 3120-280) on the label, we can identify the pesticides in our homes and garages by checking for this number. Generally, any product that claims to kill or repel pests is a pesticide. This often includes insect and weed sprays, bleach, toilet bowl cleaners, disinfectants, humidifier tablets, insect repellents, flea bombs, collars and shampoos, moth treatments, and many cleaning products.
Adapted from: Fresh Trends: A profile of fresh produce consumers. 1992 Edition. The Packer.
Farmers use pesticides for many of the same reasons we use them in our homes, yards, and gardens. Some pesticides control insects, weeds, and diseases that could otherwise cause substantial crop losses. Other compounds enhance the appearance of a commodity. For example, certain organisms cause spotting on apples and oranges but do not affect the taste or nutritional value of the fruit. Since most of us prefer blemish-free fruit, farmers may use pesticides to eliminate these spot-causing pests. Still other pesticides control disease-carrying insects and animals or poisonous molds and fungi.
Many farmers use pesticides as one part of a complex strategy called Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to control pests. Since pesticides are expensive, they are used only as a last resort. First, farmers plant crop varieties that are able to withstand certain pests. Then, farmers use a number of other nonpesticide strategies (see Figure 1) to decrease damage from pests, including:
Some farmers hire special crop consultants to help them make decisions about pest control strategies. The consultants recommend pesticides only when other proven methods of Integrated Pest Management are unsuccessful in reducing the numbers of pests.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registers all pesticide products and specifies how, when, and where they can be used. Before registering a new pesticide, the EPA considers the economic, social, and environmental costs and benefits of its use. A new pesticide will only receive registration if the EPA determines, based on the results of extensive testing, that it has no unreasonable adverse effects on man or the environment. The EPA sets specific criteria for what crop(s) a pesticide can be used on and in what quantity. They also set maximum limits, or tolerances, for how much pesticide can remain on the food at harvest.
Many people worry that eating foods containing pesticide residues will increase their risk of cancer. Although there is much controversy concerning the basis for registering pesticides that may increase cancer risk, the EPA is currently basing pesticide registration on a negligible risk or de minimis Standard. According to this standard, a pesticide would be denied registration, and the tolerance would be revoked, if using it increases the expected cancer risk by one case for every one million individuals over a lifetime (70 years) of exposure.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
State and Local Agencies
NOEL: Scientists at the EPA examine the results of tests exposing laboratory animals to various doses of a pesticide. The highest dose which caused no observable harm or side effects to the animals is designated as the No-Observable Effect Level or NOEL.
RFD: The Reference Dose or RFD is the amount of a pesticide residue a person could consume daily for 70 years with no harmful effect. Since people may react to a chemical differently than test animals, and since some people are more sensitive than others, scientists obtain the RFD by dividing the NOEL by a safety factor of 100 or 1000. Pesticide exposures in our foods are compared to the RFD. Exposure values below the RFD are generally accepted. Exposure values which exceed the RFD require greater scrutiny by the EPA.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) monitor both domestic and imported food samples to make sure that illegal pesticides are not present. They also check to make sure that residue levels are below the tolerance levels established by the EPA. If illegal pesticides or pesticide residues above the tolerances are found, the FDA and USDA may remove the contaminated food from the market.
The FDA and USDA test thousands of samples of domestic and imported raw produce, meats, and poultry each year for the presence of pesticides. Although scientists can detect incredibly small traces of pesticides, more than 98% of the samples tested in recent years had either no detectable residues or residues below the established tolerance level (Figure 2).
The FDA also tests for pesticide residues in prepared foods using a Market Basket or Total Diet Study. FDA purchases food from grocery stores in different parts of the country, prepares the food as you would at home, and tests the ready-to-eat foods for the presence of pesticides. Results of these FDA tests consistently show that the amount of pesticide residues on the food we eat is less than 1% of what the EPA believes is safe. Although the pesticide residues in food as it comes from the field are very low, these studies indicate that procedures like washing, peeling, trimming, and cooking decrease pesticide residues even more (Figure 3).
Pesticides are by definition poisonous to some type of organism. They may also be toxic to humans in high enough concentrations. As with most substances, including medicines, vitamins, and even salt and spices, the level of exposure determines whether the pesticide is beneficial or harmful. For example, while small amounts of vitamin A are essential for good health, large doses can be fatal. The same is true of pesticides. The labels of all pesticides registered by the EPA carry detailed instructions for use. Strict compliance with the application instructions should protect the user and the environment from adverse effects and the consumer from illegal pesticide residues.
A few pesticides have been shown to cause illness, including cancer, when administered to laboratory animals in high doses. However, the quantities of pesticide residues the FDA and USDA actually detect on foods are well below the tolerance levels set by the EPA. Scientists and public health organizations generally agree that the risks associated with pesticide residues are extremely small compared to the benefits gained from a varied diet. In fact, both the National Cancer Institute and the American Cancer Society urge consumers to increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables, which are often treated with pesticides, as a way of lowering cancer risks.
The use of pesticides in agriculture helps to keep the quantity, quality, and availability of foods high while keeping prices low. Pesticides also help protect us from organisms that can carry disease or cause illness.
Pesticides are thoroughly tested before registration and the FDA and USDA closely monitor foods for pesticide residues. Most scientists believe that, in the quantities used, pesticides are safe. However, consumers continue to be wary.
Although food can never be made completely "safe," it may be comforting to note that the vast majority of food samples tested each year contain either no detectable residues or residues below the tolerance level. We can decrease residues still more by washing, peeling, and other food preparation techniques. In addition, eating a variety of foods is not only good from a nutritional standpoint, it will also help minimize exposure to any one pesticide, since pesticide use varies from crop to crop.
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Cooperative Extension work in Agriculture and Home Economics, state of Indiana, Purdue University, and U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating; H. A. Wadsworth, Director, West Lafayette, IN. Issued in furtherance of the acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914. The Cooperative Extension Service of Purdue University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity institution.