Pesticide Residue Surveys; Country of Origin Labeling

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Pesticide Residue Surveys Country of Origin
Labeling Microbiological Data Program

• O. Norman Nesheim
• UF/IFAS Pesticide Information Coordinator

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FDA Pesticide Residue Survey
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Pesticide Regulation

• 3 Federal agencies share responsibility for the
  regulation of pesticides
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

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Agency Roles

• EPA
• Registers pesticides sold/distributed in the US
  and regulates their use.
• Sets Tolerances for pesticides used on food
• Tolerances are the maximum amounts of residues
  that are permitted in or on a food or feed.

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Monitoring and Enforcement of Tolerances

• FDA monitors and enforces tolerances set by EPA
  in domestic and imported foods and animal feeds
  shipped in interstate commerce
• USDA
• Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) monitors
  and enforces tolerances on meat, poultry, and egg
  products.
• AMS Pesticide Data Program (PDP) tests
  commodities in U.S. food supply for pesticide
  residues.

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FDA Monitoring

• Individual lots of domestically produced and
  imported foods are sampled and analyzed for
  pesticide residues
• Domestic samples are collected close to point of
  production in distribution system
• Import samples are collected at point of entry
  into U.S commerce

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FDA Monitoring

• The unwashed, whole, unpeeled, raw commodity is
  analyzed.
• Processed foods also are analyzed.
• FDA uses multi-residue analytical methods capable
  of determining a number of pesticide residues.
• FDA methods are capable of determining residues
  well below tolerance levels

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Targeted Sampling

• FDA uses several factors to determine the types
  and numbers of samples to collect.
• Review of recent FDA and state residue data
• Regional information on pesticide use
• Dietary importance of food
• Information on the amount of domestic and
  imported food entering interstate commerce
• Pesticide characteristics and toxicity
• Production volume/pesticide usage patterns

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FDA Monitoring Results - 2001

• Total samples analyzed 6,475
• Domestic Samples 2,101
• Collected from 41 states
• Largest number of samples come from states that
  are the largest producers of fruit and vegetables
• Imported 4,374
• Collected from food shipments from 99 countries.
• Mexico had the largest number of samples. Chile
  was next.

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Domestic/Import Comparison- All Samples
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Domestic/Import Comparison Fruits and Vegetables
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Sanctions for Illegal Residues

• Domestic
• Seizure of item or injunction
• Import
• Stop shipment at port of entry
• Stop future shipments for a specific grower,
  geographic area, or country based on the finding
  of one violative shipment, if there is reason to
  believe the same situation exists in future lots
  during the same shipping season.

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Web Address

• FDA Pesticide Program Residue Monitoring
• http//vm.cfsan.fda.gov/dms/pesrpts.html

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USDA Pesticide Data Program

• Tested over 50 different commodities
  fresh/frozen/canned fruit and vegetables, fruit
  juices, whole milk, grains, corn syrup, poultry,
  beef, drinking water.
• Samples collected close to time and point of
  consumption and reflect what is typically
  available to consumers during the year.

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2002 PDP Results

• 2002 PDP tested fresh and processed fruit and
  vegetables, barley, rice beef tissues and
  drinking water for pesticides.
• 12,889 samples
• 10,056 were fruit vegetables, including apple
  juice, apple sauce, canned and frozen sweet peas,
  sweet corn, fresh apples, asparagus, bananas,
  broccoli, carrots, celery, cucumbers, mushrooms,
  onions peaches pineapples, potatoes, spinach and
  bell peppers

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2002 PDP Results

• 58 of samples had no detectable residues
• 42 of samples had detectable residues
• 0.3 of samples exceeded the established
  tolerance.
• 2.7 of samples had no established tolerance.
  These residues detected at very low levels and
  may be due to spray drift, crop rotations, or use
  of sanitizers in food handling facilities.
• PDP reports such findings to FDA.

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Use of PDP Data

• EPA uses PDP data to prepare realistic pesticide
  dietary exposure for pesticide risk assessments.
• Government and ag industry use data to examine
  pesticide residue issues that may affect ag
  practices and U.S. Trade
• PDP data are useful in promoting export of U.S.
  commodities and addressing food safety issues

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PDP Information

• More information on USDAs Pesticide Data Program
  can be found at
• http//www.ams.usda.gov/science/pdp/

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Country of Origin Labeling
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Country of Origin Labeling(COOL)

• The 2002 Farm Bill established the requirement
  for Country of Origin Labeling for beef, lamb,
  pork, fish, perishable agricultural commodities
  and peanuts.
• USDA-AMS responsible for implementation.
• USDA published proposed regulations to implement
  COOL on 10/30/2003

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COOL Implementation

• 9/30/2004 - Original Implementation date however
  Congress passed legislation postponing
  implementation for all covered commodities except
  wild and farm raised fish and shell fish until
  9/30/2006.

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COOL Requirements

• Covered commodities must be labeled at retail to
  indicate their country of origin.
• Country of origin for fish and shell fish must
  include and distinguish between wild and farm
  raised.

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COOL Exemptions

• Covered commodities are exempt if they are an
  ingredient in a processed food item. Eg. Bacon,
  orange juice, mixed fruit party trays, mixed nuts
• Food Service establishments, such as restaurants,
  bars, cafeterias, etc.

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More COOL Information

• Information on COOL legislation and proposed
  regulations can be found at
• http//www.ams.usda.gov/cool/

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USDAs Microbiological Data Program (MDP)
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MDP

• FY 2001 Congress authorized funding to
  establish a microbial baseline in the domestic
  food supply.
• USDA-AMS Monitoring Programs Office charged with
  implementing the MDP.

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Congressional Intent for MDP

• Conferees expect the microbiological data
  program to produce national, consistent and
  statistically reliable data that may be used for
  research and risk analysis purposes by federal
  agencies, such as USDA, FDA, CDC, state health
  departments, researchers and other stakeholders.

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MDP Objectives

• Provide comprehensive data on pathogens and
  indicator organisms on fresh fruits and
  vegetables in the U.S.
• Establish benchmark data for Federal Agencies,
  State Public Health Agencies, industry and other
  interested parties to assess potentially harmful
  foodborne microorganisms.
• To provide uniform procedures for sampling,
  testing, and reporting.

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MDP

• USDA-AMS coordinated development of the MDP with
  CDC, FDA, USDA-ARS, and USDA-NASS
• Sampling and/or microbiological lab activities
  are conducted with 10 states and 1 federal lab.

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MDP

• MDP uses the USDA food consumption surveys to
  select for sampling highly consumed commodities
  that can be eaten raw.
• 2002 MDP sampled and tested celery, cantaloupe,
  leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce and tomatoes for
  Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Salmonella spp.

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MDP Results

• 2002 10,317 samples analyzed (86 domestic, 11
  imported, 3 unknown origin. (First reporting
  year)
• E. coli isolates with virulence factors found in
  0.62 percent of samples.
• Three Salmonella spp. isolates from domestic
  lettuce

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Use of MDP Data

• Establish benchmarks for the incidence of target
  organisms at the wholesale level, understand
  trends, and improve risk communication.
• Identify priorities for technology development
  and modeling of risks for fresh produce in the
  food chain

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Use of MDP Data

• MDP data can supplement the FDA/USDA Guidance
  for IndustryGuide to Minimize Microbial Food
  Safety Hazards for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

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MDP Future

• MDP is seeking
• to use new technologies to streamline laboratory
  procedures
• improved data collection methods
• to use improved microbial detection methods that
  are quicker, more reliable, and more sensitive

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MDP Resources

• For more information on USDAs Microbiological
  Data Program go to http//www.ams.usda.gov/Science
  /mpo/quick.htm