Tracking pesticide residues and risk levels in individual samples—insights and applications

Abstract Background A method is now available to quantify the number of pesticide residues and relative dietary risks in individual servings food. The Dietary Risk Index (DRI) system combines results United States Kingdom residue testing programs with data on food serving sizes each pesticide’s chronic Reference Dose or Acceptable Daily Intake. Chronic DRI values are a ratio: amount maximum allowed by regulators. Results generates sample tables reporting detected aggregate-pesticide specific, samples It first such do so worldwide. Output produce accurate estimates real-world based current toxicology exposure benchmarks set System outputs allow assessment distribution pesticide-dietary across foods pesticides demonstrate that risk levels highly skewed. large pose moderate, low, very-low risks, relatively few high very-high risks. Conclusions provides industry, regulators analysts simple, accessible online tool assess dietary-risk food, pesticide, as function country origin, grown conventional versus organic farms. output show consistently poor indicator levels. By identifying small high-risk samples, efforts mitigate can be targeted where most worrisome are.