Limits for pesticide residues in infant foods: a safety-based proposal.

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.