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Pesticide residues in food

Pesticides must be approved

Pesticides are chemicals that are used to eliminate or control fungus, weeds or insects. There are at least 500,000 identified natural chemicals that are present in all foods, including natural pesticides that work to protect the plant or animal from attack or from loss of nutrients. Growers and farmers use agricultural compounds to protect the food supply and to maximise the quantity and quality of the food they grow.

Because agricultural compounds are used worldwide, their safety must be checked both locally and internationally. They are only approved for use if that use poses no greater risk to consumers than foods grown without their use. The use of agricultural compounds in food production is tightly controlled to meet the sometimes competing goals of least risk to human health, good plant and animal health, and supplies for consumption and trade.

Pesticide residues are safe

Using agricultural compounds at the time and in the strength needed to be effective can sometimes leave traces in the final food. The maximum level allowed has been carefully assessed to ensure that any possible health risk is so small that it is called ‘notional zero’ risk.

Before any agricultural compound is used in New Zealand it must meet the requirements of the Agricultural Compounds and Veterinary Medicines Act. Before we register an agricultural compound for use it must undergo rigorous testing. The results from these tests determine – among other things – the least amount of a compound to use to give the maximum benefit. They also predict the amount of residue left in the food at harvest or slaughter. Based on this information, acceptable residue limits are recorded in New Zealand law, set in accordance with national and international procedures, and set to ensure that residues in foods will be as low as possible without compromising effective use of the compound.

Before the maximum residue level is formally set, it is assessed by experts against the toxicity of the compound to ensure that the residue poses no health risk, even if all the food you consumed over your lifetime had residues at the maximum level. In reality, most food most of the time has no detectable residues at all.

Mixtures of residues are safe

A substantial amount of research has been conducted into what some call the ‘cocktail effect’ and international experts agree that it is rare. Testing to date has shown that consuming a mix of chemicals at the levels found in foods is of no more concern than consuming each chemical individually.

Naturally-produced toxins have not been tested

Comparatively little is known about safe levels of consumption of many of the natural toxins produced by plants, animals and micro-organisms. All food contains, and indeed is made up of, chemicals. Some of these chemicals will be toxic at certain doses, and on some occasions may be present at levels that can cause harm.

Unlike registered chemicals, very few naturally-occurring toxins have been thoroughly researched or evaluated for their effects on people or animals. However, most are generally found at levels regarded as ‘safe’ for most people because the foods have been consumed for many years with the toxins at these levels without evidence of harmful effects.

More information

http://www.nzfsa.govt.nz/consumers/chemicals-nutrients-additives-and-toxins/#P3_639

Updated 15 December 2009