Pesticide Data Program Annual Summary for Calendar Year 2018
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United States Department of Agriculture December 2019 Dear Reader: We are pleased to present the Pesticide Data Program’s (PDP) 28th Annual Summary for calendar year 2018. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) conducts this program each year to collect data on pesticide residues in food. This report shows that when pesticide residues are found on foods, they are nearly always at levels below the tolerance, or maximum amount of a pesticide allowed to remain in or on a food, that is set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). PDP provides high-quality, nationally representative data to help ensure consumer confidence in the foods they provide to their families. Over 99 percent of the products sampled through PDP had residues below the EPA tolerances. Ultimately, if EPA determines a pesticide is not safe for human consumption, it is removed from the market. The PDP tests a wide variety of domestic and imported foods, with a strong focus on foods that are consumed by infants and children. EPA relies on PDP data to conduct dietary risk assessments and to ensure that any pesticide residues in foods remain at safe levels. USDA uses the data to better understand the relationship of pesticide residues to agricultural practices and to enhance USDA’s Integrated Pest Management objectives. USDA also works with U.S. growers to improve agricultural practices. The PDP is not designed for enforcement of EPA pesticide residue tolerances. Rather, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for enforcing EPA tolerances. PDP provides FDA and EPA with monthly reports of pesticide residue testing and informs the FDA if residues detected exceed the EPA tolerance or have no EPA tolerance established. The PDP works with State agencies representing all census regions of the country and approximately half of the U.S. population. In 2018, samples were collected and analyzed in California, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Michigan, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, and Washington. For more information about PDP, please visit our website at https://www.ams.usda.gov/datasets/ pdp. For additional information about pesticides and food, please visit EPA’s website at http:// www.epa.gov/safepestcontrol and FDA’s website at http://www.fda.gov/Food/Chemicals- Metals-Pesticides-Food/Pesticides. Agricultural Marketing Service 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-0201 Voice (202) 720-8998 Fax (202) 720-7135 An Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer Contents Page No. Acknowledgements........................................................................................................................ vii Executive Summary...................................................................................................................... ix Acronyms and Abbreviations........................................................................................................ xi Section I--Introduction............................................................................................................... 1 Section II--Sampling Operations............................................................................................... 4 Conceptual Framework.................................................................................................... 4 Sampling Procedures....................................................................................................... 5 2018 Sampling Operations.............................................................................................. 6 Fresh and Processed Commodities.................................................................................. 11 Rice.................................................................................................................................. 11 Wheat Flour..................................................................................................................... 12 Heavy Cream................................................................................................................... 12 Sampling Limitations...................................................................................................... 12 Section III--Laboratory Operations......................................................................................... 12 Overview.......................................................................................................................... 12 Fresh and Processed Commodities.................................................................................. 13 Rice.................................................................................................................................. 13 Wheat Flour...................................................................................................................... 13 Heavy Cream.................................................................................................................... 13 Quality Assurance Program............................................................................................. 14 Section IV--Database Management.......................................................................................... 16 Electronic Data Path........................................................................................................ 16 Data Reporting................................................................................................................ 18 Online Database Search Tool.......................................................................................... 18 Section V--Sample Results and Discussion.............................................................................. 18 Overview......................................................................................................................... 18 Import Versus Domestic Residue Comparisons.............................................................. 19 Postharvest Applications................................................................................................. 20 Discussion of Results ..................................................................................................... 20 Special Projects............................................................................................................... 21 Environmental Contaminants.......................................................................................... 21 Tolerance Violations........................................................................................................ 22 Look Ahead..................................................................................................................... 23 Pesticide Data Program—Annual Summary, Calendar Year 2018 iii Figures Page No. 1 Pesticide Data Program (PDP) Program Operations Support and Data Users................... 2 2 Program Participants........................................................................................................... 3 3 Commodity Origin.............................................................................................................. 9 4 Origin of Selected Fresh Commodities: Asparagus and Snap Pea Samples....................... 11 5 Pesticide Data Program (PDP) Data Pathway..................................................................... 17 Tables 1 Pesticide Data Program (PDP) Commodity Collection Schedule for 2018........................ 6 2 Distribution of Samples Collected by Each Participating State.......................................... 7 3 Acceptable Products for Collected Commodities................................................................ 8 4 Sample Preparation Steps for Analysis................................................................................ 15 Appendixes A-K Appendix A Commodity History Appendix B Distribution of Residues by Pesticide in Fruit and Vegetables Appendix C Distribution of Residues by Pesticide in Rice Appendix D Distribution of Residues by Pesticide in Wheat Flour Appendix E Distribution of Residues by Pesticide in Heavy Cream Appendix F Distribution of Residues for Environmental Contaminants Appendix G Sample Origin by State or Country Appendix H Import Versus Domestic Pesticide Residue Comparisons Appendix I Pesticide Residues by Commodity Appendix J Number of Pesticides Detected per Sample Appendix K Samples Reported to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as Exceeding the Tolerance or Without Established Tolerance Pesticide Data Program—Annual Summary, Calendar Year 2018 v Acknowledgements The States participating in the Pesticide Data Website: Program (PDP) deserve special recognition for their contributions to the program. The dedication http://www.ams.usda.gov/pdp and fl exibility of sample collectors allow the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Participating State Agencies Marketing Service (AMS) to adjust sampling protocols when responding to changing trends California Department of Food and Agriculture in commodity distribution and availability. PDP California Department of Pesticide Regulation acknowledges the contributions of the State Colorado Department of Agriculture laboratories in providing testing services to the Florida Department of Agriculture and program and the USDA, National Agricultural Consumer Services Statistics Service for providing statistical support. Maryland Department of Agriculture PDP also acknowledges the exceptional support Michigan Department of Agriculture and of the