The FDA pesticides program: goals and new approaches

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has carried out a large-scale monitoring program for pesticide residues in foods since the 1960s. The program has evolved continuously as evidenced by a number of recently incorporated modifications and initiatives. Included are greater emphasis on imports; increased and more specific targeting of pesticide/commodity combinations by geographic area or country; development of individual district sampling plans for domestic and imported foods; expanded use of single residue methods; linkage of information on foreign pesticide usage with food import volumes; development of an analytical methods research plan; and increased cooperative sampling and data exchange with the states. Initiatives to acquire and utilize private sector and other monitoring data are being explored, and aggressive steps are being taken to inform the public of FDA monitoring results in a timely and understandable manner.