Nitrosamine Testing: Accelerating Speed to Market for Crop Protection Products
Crop protection plays an integral role in boosting food production to meet the needs of a growing world population. Crop protection tools control pests and diseases that reduce yields and damage food quality. Without them, it is estimated that the global production of fruit, vegetables, pastures, and fibers would decrease by up to 45 percent, increasing the world’s food bill considerably.[1] The crop protection industry is one of the most highly regulated in the world. New products must be thoroughly tested—including quantification of compounds, such as carcinogenic nitrosamines—in order to demonstrate they are within acceptable limits deemed by international agencies. Accurate testing must be done rapidly to accelerate the process from field to market.
Innovating in a Highly Regulated Industry
Development of a new crop protection product (herbicide, fungicide, insecticide, or seed treatment) involves several steps: discovery and formulation of the product; trials and field development; toxicology; environmental impacts; and final registration. New product registration requires demonstration of safety for all aspects of the environment, the workers, the crops that are being protected, and the food that is consumed. This involves comprehensive risk assessments being carried out that are based on data from numerous safety studies, and an understanding of Good Agricultural Practices.