Summary of Pesticides Found in U.S. Food Supply Based on FDA Monitoring in FY 2022
2024-09-04
Uncovering the Truth: FDA Pesticide Monitoring Program Reveals Insights on Domestic and Imported Food SafetyThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released its latest Pesticide Monitoring Program (PMP) report, providing a comprehensive overview of the agency's efforts to ensure the safety and compliance of human foods in the United States. The report, covering fiscal year 2022, sheds light on the prevalence of pesticide residues in both domestic and imported food samples, offering valuable insights for consumers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders.
In the fiscal year 2022, the FDA analyzed a total of 2,800 human food samples, comprising 731 domestic samples and 2,069 imported samples. These samples were collected from 41 states and 81 countries, respectively, with the majority of domestic samples originating from California, Illinois, Kansas, New York, and Florida. The import samples were predominantly sourced from Mexico, Canada, China, India, and Peru.
Domestic Samples: Consistent Compliance, Room for Improvement
The report reveals that 96.2 percent of the domestic food samples were found to be compliant with the pesticide residue tolerances set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). However, the remaining 3.8 percent of domestic samples were found to contain violative residue levels. This rate, though relatively low, highlights the need for continued vigilance and ongoing efforts to maintain and improve the safety of domestically produced foods.
The analysis of imported food samples paints a more complex picture. While 89.5 percent of the imported samples were found to be compliant with EPA tolerances, the remaining 10.5 percent contained violative residue levels. This violation rate is notably higher than that of domestic samples, a trend that has been consistent over the years. In response, the FDA has implemented a targeted PMP strategy, intentionally sampling and testing a greater number of foods from commodity groups and exporting countries that are more likely to be in violation of EPA tolerances.
Pesticide Residue Profiles: Insights and Concerns
The report delves into the specific pesticides found in the analyzed food samples. In fiscal year 2022, the FDA's testing methods were able to detect 757 pesticides and industrial chemicals, 209 of which were actually found in the human food samples. Azoxystrobin and imidacloprid emerged as the most frequently detected chemicals, each found in 256 food samples.Of particular concern is the presence of chlorpyrifos, an insecticide that was slated for a ban by the EPA before a U.S. appeals court overturned the decision in late 2023. Chlorpyrifos was the 11th most commonly detected pesticide, found in 111 samples. Additionally, the fungicide difenoconazole and the herbicide glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup) were also observed in a significant number of samples, 109 and 54 respectively. Both of these chemicals have been the subject of ongoing legal challenges against the EPA.
Animal Feed Samples: Oversight and Compliance Concerns
The PMP report also examined 230 animal feed samples, of which 113 were domestic and 117 were imports. While the majority of the domestic feed samples (61.9 percent) contained detectable residues, only 4.4 percent were found to be violative. In contrast, half (50.4 percent) of the imported animal feed samples contained no detectable residues, and none were deemed violative.The report highlights the need for continued vigilance in monitoring the safety of animal feed, particularly the domestic supply, as the violation rate for domestic samples increased from 0 percent in the previous two fiscal years to 4.4 percent in 2022. The most commonly detected chemical in animal feed samples was glyphosate, found in 65 samples.
