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Limits for pesticide residues in infant foods: a safety-based proposal
B Schilter1, A G Renwick, A C Huggett
1Department of Quality and Safety Assurance, Nestec Ltd., Lausanne, Switzerland.
Insights
New safety limits for pesticide residues in baby foods are proposed. This approach uses acceptable daily intake (ADI) and an infant-specific uncertainty factor for enhanced infant protection.
Area of Science:
- Food safety
- Toxicology
- Pediatric nutrition
Background:
- Current maximum residue levels (MRLs) for pesticides in food may not adequately protect infants.
- Infants may have higher sensitivity to toxicants compared to adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a safety-based strategy for setting pesticide residue limits specifically for infant foods.
- To evaluate the suitability of existing quality assurance systems for infant products.
Main Methods:
- Utilized acceptable daily intake (ADI) as a basis.
- Applied an additional uncertainty factor for infant sensitivity, especially for neurotoxic pesticides.
- Evaluated limits based on a 4-month-old infant's food intake pattern.
Main Results:
- Developed a safety-based strategy for pesticide residue limits in baby foods.
- Estimated limits for most examined pesticides are controllable via existing quality assurance.
- Identified a need for further developmental studies for certain pesticides to confirm infant ADI appropriateness.
Conclusions:
- The proposed safety strategy is practical for setting infant-specific pesticide residue limits.
- Enhanced analytical sensitivity may be required for compliance with infant-adjusted ADI.
- Further research is needed to ensure the safety of pesticide residues in infant foods.
Abstract:
A review of safety procedures for regulating pesticide residues in food commodities has demonstrated that maximum residue levels established by national and international bodies may not be suitable for direct application to finished infant products. We have developed a safety-based strategy specifically aimed at setting limits for pesticide residues in baby foods. The approach is based on the acceptable daily intake (ADI) together with the application, when necessary, of an additional uncertainty factor to account for the potential higher sensitivity of infants to toxicants. The need for this extra factor is dependent on the toxicological information available and may be particularly important for pesticides with a neurotoxic potential. Using this strategy we have evaluated safety-based residue limits for finished products based on a standard food intake pattern of a 4-month-old infant. For most of the pesticides examined the estimated limits fell within a range which can be controlled through existing quality assurance systems. This scientific approach appears usable in practice and is intended as a basis for stimulating discussions aimed at evaluating the need for new limits to ensure the optimal quality of infant products with respect to pesticide safety. This assessment demonstrates that for a number of pesticides there is a need for adequate developmental studies to provide assurance that the current ADI is appropriate for infants. A consequence may be the necessity for enhanced analytical sensitivity for the determination of pesticide residues in infant foods which would be compatible with limits based on an infant-adjusted ADI.