Often of EU origin, secondary standards are aimed at controlling the levels of pesticide residues in food. They play an increasingly important role in international trade, particularly of fresh fruit and vegetables. They are based on established regulatory levels, but go beyond the legal requirements, e.g., they may be a percent of the Maximum Residue Level (MRL) or the Acute Reference Dose (ARfD), a value used to set acceptable short-term dietary levels. Secondary standards are both increasing in number and becoming more complex, e.g., for certain crops, some retailers combine both a percent of MRL and/or ARfD with a limit on the numbers of pesticides allowed. This presentation will examine the circumstances that lead to the development of these food chain standards, briefly review current standards and their impacts, and consider how such standards may develop in the future.

Retailer pesticide secondary standards in the food chain

244th National Meeting (2012)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.