Evaluation of Brazilian pesticide residue reported by monitoring programs considering foods offered to childrens

Abstract

The consumption of fruits and vegetables, which are the basis of infant nutrition, carries a high risk of pesticide residue contamination. With higher food intake and lower body weight, infants can be considered more sensitive to contamination than adults, which justifies the growing concern about the diet of this population in recent decades. In 2006 in the European Union (EU), processed baby foods were regulated and should not contain individual pesticide residues at levels higher than 0.01 mg/kg, to protect children from ingesting harmful substances. Considering the reference pesticide residues for infant food in the EU and the pesticide residue monitoring programs in Brazil (from the National Health Surveillance Agency and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply), this study compared the results of pesticide residues in some vegetables and fruits with the maximum residue level (MRL) for infant foods established by the EU. 10,174 vegetable samples were analyzed by the monitoring programs, and 80.3% were in accordance with their respective MRLs. Some foods, such as rice, potatoes, and chayote, have average pesticide residue levels equal to or lower than the EU-baby-MRL. However, only 44.0% of the analyzed foods presented residues with results lower than 0.01 mg/kg of food. It can be concluded that most fruits and vegetables contain pesticide residues above the EU recommendations for infant food.