Regulatory Toxicology and Tolerances of Pesticide Residues in Latin-America and Caribbean Region

Abstract

Abstract - Registration or homologation of agricultural pesticides, in many countries of Latin-America and Caribbean Region, depends upon the alleged efficiency against a pest or a group of pests and presentation of data on the LD-50 only. A few countries require field tests to confirm the efficiency of a new pesticide against local pests. There is no list of tolerances of pesticide residues in food in the great majority of the countries in the region. Some countries pay attention to tolerances only in products to be exported. Laboratories to carry out analysis of pesticide residues in food already exist at least in Argentine, Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela. New laboratories are being installed in several other countries. However, the analysis are incidental and no monitoring study is performed. A new legislation in Brazil requires the presentation of toxicological data for the evaluation of new pesticides. The data must include short and long-term studies and tests for mutagenesis, teratogenesis, and carcinogenesis. The acceptable daily intake -ADI- is established for the pesticides not yet evaluated in the Joint FAO/WHO Meetings on Pesticide Residues (JMPR). Many pesticides in use in Latin-America and Caribbean Region were examined neither by the FAO/WHO JMPR nor by the Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues up to the present. A Regional Committee on Pesticides must be established, under the supervision of the Pan-American Health Organization, in order to evaluate new pesticides of interest in the region and determine the residues after good agricultural practices. This Regional Committee would act as a liaison between Latin-America and Caribbean Region and the WHO, FAO, and Codex.