Although the use of glyphosate on crops poses a food safety risk and its use should be curbed, completely banning the substance too early may lead to farmers using chemical alternatives that are just as harmful to human and environmental health, according to experts from Wageniningen University and Research (WUR).
To align the Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for 127 agricultural and veterinary chemicals with international authorities, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) recently released its annual call for comment on proposed changes.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has published the results of an extensive literature review examining the effects of consuming three pervasive, chemical food contaminants—pesticide residues, veterinary drug residues, and microplastics—on the human gut microbiome. The literature reviews aim to fill existing knowledge gaps about how dietary components can impact the gut microbiome and human health, which is crucial information to improve food safety risk assessment.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed to register new uses for the pesticide chlormequat chloride on food crops. If finalized, the decision would mark the first-ever approval for using chlormequat chloride on U.S. food. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has raised food safety concerns with EPA’s proposal.
The majority of food on the EU market contain pesticide residues below legally permitted thresholds according to the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA’s) 2021 report on pesticides in foods.
A recent article authored by scientists affiliated with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) stresses the importance of conscientiously choosing pesticides for use on food crops to mitigate the rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Researchers are investigating the use of antimicrobial peptides produced by bacteria as a food-safe, clean-label, and environmentally friendly alternative to chemical pesticides, which pose food safety and environmental health risks.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service (USDA’s AMS) has found the majority of fruits and vegetables in the U.S. to contain pesticide residues below the tolerances established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), according to the agency’s Pesticide Data Program (PDP) summary for 2021.
