Abstract
Pesticides have been used for centuries to control crop pests and diseases. They are an important tool in integrated pest management. Alongside the pressing demand for food security from a growing population, and with increased international trade in food, there is a corresponding need for greater scrutiny of food safety. This requires improved standards and greater international harmonization in the measurement of pesticide residues in food. There is an urgent need for more complete and rigorous use of Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) standards for pesticides in food. Through an internationally agreed process, MRLs are established for each pesticide intended for use on a specified crop. To provide a realistic contribution to food security and food safety, many more MRLs are needed than are currently available. The chapter examines this urgent practical requirement through a high-level view of the role of pesticides in food security and food safety. A simplified process for establishing MRLs is needed, and an outline scheme is proposed.
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Tiu, C. (2021). Pesticide Residues in Food: A Never-Ending Challenge. In: Scott, P., Strange, R., Korsten, L., Gullino, M.L. (eds) Plant Diseases and Food Security in the 21st Century. Plant Pathology in the 21st Century, vol 10. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57899-2_12
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-57899-2_12
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