An assessment of the acute dietary exposure to glyphosate using deterministic and probabilistic methods

Use of glyphosate in crop production can lead to residues of the active substance and related metabolites in food. Glyphosate has never been considered acutely toxic; however, in 2015 the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) proposed an acute reference dose (ARfD). This differs from the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues (JMPR) who in 2016, in line with their existing position, concluded that an ARfD was not necessary for glyphosate. This paper makes a comprehensive assessment of short-term dietary exposure to glyphosate from potentially treated crops grown in the EU and imported third-country food sources. European Union and global deterministic models were used to make estimates of short-term dietary exposure (generally defined as up to 24 h). Estimates were refined using food-processing information, residues monitoring data, national dietary exposure models, and basic probabilistic approaches to estimating dietary exposure. Calculated exposures levels were compared to the ARfD, considered to be the amount of a substance that can be consumed in a single meal, or 24-h period, without appreciable health risk. Acute dietary intakes were <100% of the ARfD for all foodstuffs, except wild fungi, when calculated using the EFSA model. The model assumptions differ from those of the source model (German national model), resulting in the use of a higher variability factor. Intakes estimated with the German model represented only 18% of the ARfD. The impact of differing assumptions regarding variability and other input parameters is discussed. Probabilistic exposure estimates showed that the acute intake on no person-days exceeded 10% of the ARfD, even for the pessimistic scenario.     

Residues of glyphosate in food and dietary exposure

Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup^® brand nonselective herbicides, and residue testing for food has been conducted as part of the normal regulatory processes. Additional testing has been conducted by university researchers and nongovernmental agencies. Presence of residues needs to be put into the context of safety standards. Furthermore, to appropriately interpret residue data, analytical assays must be validated for each food sample matrix. Regulatory agency surveys indicate that 99% of glyphosate residues in food are below the European maximum residue limits (MRLs) or U.S. Environmental Protection Agency tolerances. These data support the conclusion that overall residues are not elevated above MRLs/tolerances due to agricultural practices or usage on genetically modified (GM) crops. However, it is important to understand that MRLs and tolerances are limits for legal pesticide usage. MRLs only provide health information when the sum of MRLs of all foods is compared to limits established by toxicology studies, such as the acceptable daily intake (ADI). Conclusions from dietary modeling that use actual food residues, or MRLs themselves, combined with consumption data indicate that dietary exposures to glyphosate are within established safe limits. Measurements of glyphosate in urine can also be used to estimate ingested glyphosate exposure, and studies indicate that exposure is <3% of the current European ADI for glyphosate, which is 0.5 mg glyphosate/kg body weight. Conclusions of risk assessments, based on dietary modeling or urine data, are that exposures to glyphosate from food are well below the amount that can be ingested daily over a lifetime with a reasonable certainty of no harm.     

Glyphosate residues in Swiss market foods: monitoring and risk evaluation

A total of 243 samples of diverse foodstuffs were analysed for glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) using a liquid chromatography triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) method with a relatively low limit of quantification in the range of 0.0005–0.0025 mg kg^?1. Main contributors for dietary glyphosate and AMPA intake were cereals and pulses. The results suggest that pasta is a very important foodstuff for dietary glyphosate residue intake in Switzerland. Interestingly all samples of wine, fruit juice and nearly all samples of honey tested positive for glyphosate although at very low levels. A dietary risk assessment was conducted. Food products for analysis were not selected purely at random, rather products were selected for which high levels of glyphosate residues were suspected. However, even in samples where high residue levels were expected, no exceedances of maximum residue levels were found. Consequently, human exposure did not exceed neither acceptable daily intake nor acute reference dose. Therefore, glyphosate residues found in the sampled foodstuffs from the Swiss market were of no concern for human health.     

农药残留急性膳食风险评估研究进展

农药残留急性膳食风险评估直到最近才引起大家的关注。目前,JMPR研究国际范围农药急性膳食风险评估;美国、英国、荷兰、澳大利亚和新西兰也开始进行国家农药急性膳食风险评估。农药残留急性膳食风险是急性或短期接触毒性与农药残留急性膳食摄入量的函数。急性膳食风险评估包括设定急性毒性参考剂量、急性膳食摄入量评定和急性膳食风险描述。急性毒性参考剂量是根据现有的认知水平,在24h或少于24h的期间,人体摄入的食品或水中某物质对消费者不产生可察觉的健康危险的量,单位为毫克/公斤体重(mg/kgbw)。急性膳食接触量评估常用的方法有:定点或确定性方法和概率模型法。在确定性方法中选取食物的大部分人群消耗量和高残留量来计算膳食摄入量,为了解决混合样品中食品个体之间的残留差异,在计算中引入了变异因子。概率模型法是将食品中农药残留分布曲线与膳食摄入食品分布曲线进行整合得到农药膳食摄入量的分布曲线。目前最常用的是蒙特卡洛分析法。使用该方法需要收集个体在每天或每顿饭的食品膳食消耗数据和田间残留试验、市场残留检测数据以及关于加工、削皮、清洗、烹饪等行为对农药残留影响的研究数据。我国应该尽快建立健全膳食结构和农产品性状数据库,建立健全市场中农产品的农药残留数据库,并在高毒和中等毒性农药登记前,进行急性膳食风险评估,提高农药膳食摄入的安全性。首先应采用JMPR的确定性方法,然后再开发适合我国使用的概率模型法。     

市售茶叶中30种农药残留与风险评估

本次研究主要为了解30种农药在茶叶中残留状况并对检测结果进行风险评估。随机采购茶叶390份,参考GB 2763-2016对30种农药进行检测,并采用@riskv7.6风险评估软件对检测值进行拟合处理,同时结合点评估和@risk概率评估法评价其膳食暴露风险。结果表明390份茶叶中,农药中检出率最高的为联苯菊酯,高达39.2%。关于样本茶叶中多种农药联用的问题,48%的样品中未检出农药残留。其中203份茶叶中存在农药残留,114份样品中存在2种及以上农药残留情况。所有农药残留水平的95%拟合位点值均能满足GB 2763-2016要求,但有3种不能满足欧盟标准要求。只有一个茶叶的草甘膦检测值超出了GB 2763-2016要求。所检茶叶样品风险评估水平均处在可接受的水平,但甲氰菊酯的急性风险熵处于较高水平。     

Occurrence and risks associated with chlormequat residues in a range of foodstuffs in the UK

Trends in the usage pattern of chlormequat (a plant growth regulator) on cereal crops in the UK over the past 6 years are presented. The figures have been supplemented by monitoring of chlormequat residues in food commodities through the UK surveillance programme, and for cereals, the carry-through into a number of processed cereal-based foods has been followed. A downward trend of chlormequat residue levels in pears sampled between 1997 and 2002 was observed. This decline reflects changes that were introduced in European and national regulations and which have proven to be extremely effective in reducing both the frequency of detection and levels of chlormequat residues. Both acute and chronic risk assessments were undertaken based on aggregate dietary exposure data. Even when the highest residues observed were used in the calculations, the assessments showed that both the short- and long-term intakes for all consumer groups would be unlikely to cause adverse health effects and were therefore not of any cause for concern.     

Chronic dietary risk for pesticide residues in food in Brazil: an update.

The objective was to conduct a dietary risk assessment of pesticides registered in Brazil up to 14 January 2004. The theoretical maximum daily intake (TMDI) was calculated for 275 compounds using the Brazilian maximum residue limits (MRL) and food consumption. The chronic dietary risk assessment was conducted by comparing the TMDI with the Brazilian acceptable daily intake (ADI) or, when not available, with the ADI from other sources. The TMDI was higher than the ADI (%ADI>100) in at least one Brazilian region for eight pesticides, including five organophosphorus insecticides. For these compounds, the higher TMDI (expressed as %ADI) ranged from 140 (metam sodium) to 14,000 (methyl bromide). Rice, beans, citrus and tomato were the commodities that contributed most to ingestion. Change in pesticide use patterns and the establishment of ADIs by the Brazilian government have reduced the number of compounds for which the TMDI exceeded the ADI in the last 4 years. Risk assessment methodology based on TMDI calculation, however, is conservative as it assumes that the food supply is always treated with all the registered pesticides for that crop and that one always consumes food containing residues at the tolerance level. Furthermore, for six compounds with TMDI exceeding the ADI, a more realistic estimation of the pesticide daily intake was conducted using monitoring residue data from the Brazilian National Pesticide Residue Program. For these compounds, the higher refined intakes ranged from 2% (dimethoate) to 180% (fenitrothion) of the ADIs. The implementation of a national pesticide residue monitoring programme by the government was important to allow the refinement of the risk assessment. However, adequate daily food consumption data are still needed to assess better the public health risk to Brazilian consumers from food produced from crops treated with pesticides.     

Statistical method to assess usual dietary intakes in the European population

Food consumption data are a key element of EFSA’s risk assessment activities, forming the basis of dietary exposure assessment at the European level. In 2011, EFSA released the Comprehensive European Food Consumption Database, gathering consumption data from 34 national surveys representing 66,492 individuals from 22 European Union member states. Due to the different methodologies used, national survey data cannot be combined to generate European estimates of dietary exposure. This study was executed to assess how existing consumption data and the representativeness of dietary exposure and risk estimates at the European Union level can be improved by developing a ‘Compiled European Food Consumption Database’. To create the database, the usual intake distributions of 589 food items representing the total diet were estimated for 36 clusters composed of subjects belonging to the same age class, gender and having a similar diet. An adapted form of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) method was used for this, with a number of important modifications. Season, body weight and whether or not the food was consumed at the weekend were used to predict the probability of consumption. A gamma distribution was found to be more suitable for modelling the distribution of food amounts in the different food groups instead of a normal distribution. These distributions were combined with food correlation matrices according to the Iman–Conover method in order to simulate 28 days of consumption for 40,000 simulated individuals. The simulated data were validated by comparing the consumption statistics of the simulated individuals and food groups with the same statistics estimated from the Comprehensive Database. The opportunities and limitations of using the simulated database for exposure assessments are described.     

Anthelmintic drug residues in beef: UPLC-MS/MS method validation, European retail beef survey, and associated exposure and risk assessments

Anthelmintic drugs are widely used to control parasitic infections in cattle. The ProSafeBeef project addressed the need for data on the exposure of European consumers of beef to potentially harmful drug residues. A novel analytical method based on matrix solid-phase dispersive extraction and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was validated for 37 anthelmintic drugs and metabolites in muscle (assay decision limits, CCα,?=?0.15-10.2?μg?kg?1). Seven European countries (France, Spain, Slovenia, Ireland, Italy, Belgium and Portugal) participated in a survey of retail beef purchased in local shops. Of 1061 beef samples analysed, 26 (2.45%) contained detectable residues of anthelmintic drugs (0.2-171?μg?kg?1), none above its European Union maximum residue limit (MRL) or action level. Residues detected included closantel, levamisole, doramectin, eprinomectin, moxidectin, ivermectin, albendazole and rafoxanide. In a risk assessment applied to mean residue concentrations across all samples, observed residues accounted for less than 0.1% of the MRL for each compound. An exposure assessment based on the consumption of meat at the 99th percentile of consumption of adults in 14 European countries demonstrated that beef accounted for less than 0.02% of the acceptable daily intake for each compound in each country. This study is the first of its kind to apply such a risk-based approach to an extensive multi-residue survey of veterinary drug residues in food. It has demonstrated that the risk of exposure of the European consumer to anthelmintic drug residues in beef is negligible, indicating that regulation and monitoring is having the desired effect of limiting residues to non-hazardous concentrations.     

Nickel in foods and the diet

Food has been found to be the main source of nickel intake by man. Nickel was fairly evenly distributed throughout the various food groups examined but highest concentrations of nickel were found in the canned vegetables, sugars and preserves, and bread and cereals food groups, suggesting a contribution from food processing equipment and, possibly, food cans. Mean dietary nickel intakes in the UK (1981-4) were between 0.14 and 0.15 mg/day. The contribution made to dietary nickel intakes by nickel from food utensils and cookware is discussed.     

食品中农药残留的膳食暴露与累积性暴露评估研究

农药残留超标是消费者比较关心的问题,关系到消费者身体健康与国际贸易.开展农药残留的膳食暴露评估对我国的食品质量安全控制有重要意义.本文就最大残留限量和日允许摄入量的关系,农药残留膳食暴露评估的模式和累积性暴露评估进行了阐述,并对我国农药残留的膳食暴露评估提出几点建议.     

Survey of pesticide residues in table grapes: Determination of processing factors, intake and risk assessment

The differences in residue pattern between Italy and South Africa, the main exporters of table grapes to the Danish market, were investigated. The results showed no major differences with respect to the number of samples with residues, with residues being found in 54-78% of the samples. Exceedances of the European Union maximum residue limit (MRL) were found in five samples from Italy. A number of samples were rinsed to study the possible reduction of residues. For copper, iprodione, procymidone and dithiocarbamates a significant effect of rinsing was found (20-49% reduction of residues). However, no significant effect was found for organophosphorus pesticides and pyrethroids, whereas the number of samples with residues of benzilates, phenylamids and triazoles was insufficient to demonstrate any significant effects. An intake calculation showed that the average intake from Italian grapes was 3.9 µg day^-1 for pesticides and 21 µg day^-1 for copper. Correspondingly, the intakes from South African grapes were 2.6 and 5.7 µg day^-1, respectively. When the total exposure of pesticides from grapes were related to acceptable daily intake, expressed as the sum of Hazard Quotients, the exposure were approximately 0.5% for Italian samples and 1% for South African samples.     

Anthelmintic drug residues in beef: UPLC-MS/MS method validation,European retail beef survey,and associated exposure and risk assessments

Anthelmintic drugs are widely used to control parasitic infections in cattle. The ProSafeBeef project addressed the need for data on the exposure of European consumers of beef to potentially harmful drug residues. A novel analytical method based on matrix solid-phase dispersive extraction and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was validated for 37 anthelmintic drugs and metabolites in muscle (assay decision limits, CCα,?=?0.15–10.2?µg?kg^?1). Seven European countries (France, Spain, Slovenia, Ireland, Italy, Belgium and Portugal) participated in a survey of retail beef purchased in local shops. Of 1061 beef samples analysed, 26 (2.45%) contained detectable residues of anthelmintic drugs (0.2–171?µg?kg^?1), none above its European Union maximum residue limit (MRL) or action level. Residues detected included closantel, levamisole, doramectin, eprinomectin, moxidectin, ivermectin, albendazole and rafoxanide. In a risk assessment applied to mean residue concentrations across all samples, observed residues accounted for less than 0.1% of the MRL for each compound. An exposure assessment based on the consumption of meat at the 99th percentile of consumption of adults in 14 European countries demonstrated that beef accounted for less than 0.02% of the acceptable daily intake for each compound in each country. This study is the first of its kind to apply such a risk-based approach to an extensive multi-residue survey of veterinary drug residues in food. It has demonstrated that the risk of exposure of the European consumer to anthelmintic drug residues in beef is negligible, indicating that regulation and monitoring is having the desired effect of limiting residues to non-hazardous concentrations.     

2018年欧盟食品中农药残留情况分析及启示

欧盟向来十分重视食品安全, 在农药残留监管方面, 建立了健全的农药残留监管体系。 本文从欧盟农药残留法规标准、监管部门及分工和欧盟农药残留控制计划3方面介绍了欧盟农药残留监管体系, 从欧盟协调控制计划和国家控制计划两部分分析了2018年欧盟食品中农药残留情况, 涉及样品来源、产品、农药、食品中草甘膦、进口食品、婴幼儿食品、有机食品和动物源性食品等。本文也指出了农药残留产生的原因和风险评估结果, 提出风险管理建议, 并借鉴其监管思路, 提出对我国农药残留监管的几点建议, 为食品安全监管决策提供参考。     

Estimates of dietary exposure of children to artificial food colours in Kuwait

To assess the intake of artificial food colour additives by 5-14-year-old children in the State of Kuwait, a 24-h dietary recall was conducted twice on 3141 male and female Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti children from 58 schools. The determination of colour additives in 344 foods items consumed was performed using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detector. A comparison with the Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization acceptable daily intakes (ADIs) was undertaken to evaluate the potential risk associated with the consumption of artificial colour additives by children in Kuwait. The results indicated that out of nine permitted colours, four exceeded their ADIs by factors of 2-8: tartrazine, sunset yellow, carmoisine and allura red. Further, follow-up studies to provide insight into potential adverse health effects associated with the high intakes of these artificial colour additives on the test population are warranted.     

Canadian Total Diet Study in 1998: pesticide levels in foods from Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada, and corresponding dietary intake estimates.

The Canadian Total Diet Study is a national survey to determine the level of chemical contaminants in the Canadian food supply. Food samples were collected from Whitehorse, Yukon, supermarkets as part of the study in 1998. Whitehorse was chosen as a sampling centre, despite its small population (n = 19,000), to determine if residue levels were different in foods available in northern communities relative to levels observed in previous studies in the more populated south. Foods were prepared as for consumption before pesticide residue analysis. Residue levels observed in most foods were similar to levels observed in samples from previous surveys from southern Canadian cities. Malathion and DDE (1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene), a transformation product of DDT (1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl(ethane), were the two most frequently detected compounds (26.4 and 25.8%, respectively). The majority of pesticides, however, had a detection frequency of < 5%. In general, pesticides in food composites were well below maximum residue limits established in the Canadian Food and Drug Regulations. Chlorpropham and captan had the highest dietary intakes (2.16 and 1.94 micrograms (kg body weight-day)-1, respectively), based on the results from Whitehorse. No dietary intakes above the acceptable daily intakes, however, were observed for any of the 39 pesticides investigated in any age-sex category, where an acceptable daily intake has been proposed.     

西安市猕猴桃主产区农药残留风险评估

目的通过对西安市猕猴桃进行系统的农药残留情况及膳食暴露风险分析,明确猕猴桃农药残留风险状况。方法对2018年西安市周至县14个猕猴桃主产乡镇共200批次样品进行农药残留定量检测分析,用每日允许摄入量和急性参考剂量进行慢性膳食摄入风险评估和急性膳食摄入风险评估,利用猕猴桃大份餐、每日允许摄入量和人均参考体重计算最大残留限量估计值。并参照兽药残留风险排序矩阵方法(英国兽药残留委员会)对农药和样品进行风险排序。结果 200个猕猴桃样品中有137个样品检出了农药残留,未有超标农药和禁用农药检出;在检出的14种农药中,慢性膳食摄入风险和急性膳食摄入风险均值远远小于100%;将14种检出农药按照风险得分分为Ⅲ类,第Ⅰ类为高等风险农药,共1种;第Ⅱ类为中等风险农药,共0种;第Ⅲ类为低等风险农药,共有13种;以风险指数排序,低风险样品占35.5%,极低风险样品占64.5%,检出农药残留种类为3个以上的样品有占比5.5%,检出农药残留种类为1～2个的样品占比61.5%,未检出农药残留有66个样品,占比33%。结论西安市周至县猕猴桃农药残留处于低风险状态,但仍然要加强日常监管工作。     

Methodological characteristics of the national dietary surveys carried out in the European Union as included in the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Comprehensive European Food Consumption Database

In 2009 competent organisations in the European Union provided the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) with data from the most recent national dietary survey at the level of individuals' consumption. Twenty different Member States provided EFSA with data from 22 different national dietary surveys, with consumption figures for adults and, when available, for children. Member States' dietary data were assembled into the EFSA Comprehensive European Food Consumption Database. In this paper an overview of the methodologies and protocols employed in the different national dietary surveys is provided. Specifically, details about dietary assessment methods, interview administration, sampling design, portion size estimation, dietary software, evaluation of under-reporting and non-dietary information collected are described. This information is crucial to evaluate the level of accuracy of food consumption data and to anticipate and acknowledge the utmost important sources of heterogeneity of national databases included in the Comprehensive Database. The Comprehensive Database constitutes a unique resource for the estimation of consumption figures across the European Union and represents a useful tool to assess dietary exposure to hazardous substances and nutrient intake in Europe. Nevertheless, the many substantial methodological differences that characterise the Comprehensive Database are acknowledged and critically discussed.     

PESTICIDE RESIDUES IN THE TOTAL DIET IN CANADA, V: 1976 TO 1978

Foods, representative of Canadian eating habits as determined by a national nutritional survey were prepared for eating, categorized, and blended into eleven different groups or composites representing the dietary intake for each of five geographical regions. Portions were analyzed for pesticides, their derivatives and some industrial contaminants. Twenty-four different residues representing organochlorine, organophosphorus, sulfur, nitroaniline, phthalonitrile and carbamate compounds were detected. Compounds reported for the first time are chlordane, methidathion, phosalone, toxaphene, chlorthalonil, dichloran, quintozene, sulfur, chlorpropham and PCB. Data are presented to show residue levels in different food composites, on a regional and seasonal basis. The average daily dietary intake is compared to previous survey data and indicates a general reduction in levels of organochlorine pesticides. All residues detected were within the FAO/WHO proposed acceptable daily intakes.     

Methodological characteristics of the national dietary surveys carried out in the European Union as included in the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) Comprehensive European Food Consumption Database

In 2009 competent organisations in the European Union provided the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) with data from the most recent national dietary survey at the level of individuals’ consumption. Twenty different Member States provided EFSA with data from 22 different national dietary surveys, with consumption figures for adults and, when available, for children. Member States’ dietary data were assembled into the EFSA Comprehensive European Food Consumption Database. In this paper an overview of the methodologies and protocols employed in the different national dietary surveys is provided. Specifically, details about dietary assessment methods, interview administration, sampling design, portion size estimation, dietary software, evaluation of under-reporting and non-dietary information collected are described. This information is crucial to evaluate the level of accuracy of food consumption data and to anticipate and acknowledge the utmost important sources of heterogeneity of national databases included in the Comprehensive Database. The Comprehensive Database constitutes a unique resource for the estimation of consumption figures across the European Union and represents a useful tool to assess dietary exposure to hazardous substances and nutrient intake in Europe. Nevertheless, the many substantial methodological differences that characterise the Comprehensive Database are acknowledged and critically discussed.