The annual Joint Meeting of the FAO Panel of Experts on Pesticide Residues in Food and the Environment and WHO Core Assessment Group on Pesticide Residues was held in Rome, Italy, from 20 to 29 September 2004. The FAO Panel of Experts had met in Preparatory Sessions from 15 to 19 September. The meeting was held in pursuance of recommendations made by previous meetings and accepted by the governing bodies of FAO and WHO that studies should be undertaken jointly by experts to evaluate possible hazards to humans arising from the occurrence of pesticide residues in foods. This report contains information on ADIs, maximum residue levels and general principles for the evaluation of pesticides. The recommendations of the joint meeting, including further research and information, are proposed for use by Member Governments of the respective agencies and other interested parties.

Part 1 of this report contains summaries of the evaluations of residues in food of the various pesticides considered, together with the recommendations made. Annex 1 contains updated ADIs, PTDI, MRLs, ERLs, STMR and HR levels. Monographs on toxicological evaluations are available as a companion volume.

Part 1 of this report contains summaries of the evaluations of residues in food of the various pesticides considered, together with the recommendations made. Annex 1 contains updated ADIs, PTDI, MRLs, ERLs, STMR and HR levels. Monographs on toxicological evaluations are available as a companion volume.

Many of the pesticides applied to food crops in this country are present in foods and may pose risks to human health. Current regulations are intended to protect the health of the general population by controlling pesticide use. This book explores whether the present regulatory approaches adequately protect infants and children, who may differ from adults in susceptibility and in dietary exposures to pesticide residues. The committee focuses on four major areas: Susceptibility: Are children more susceptible or less susceptible than adults to the effects of dietary exposure to pesticides? Exposure: What foods do infants and children eat, and which pesticides and how much of them are present in those foods? Is the current information on consumption and residues adequate to estimate exposure? Toxicity: Are toxicity tests in laboratory animals adequate to predict toxicity in human infants and children? Do the extent and type of toxicity of some chemicals vary by species and by age? Assessing risk: How is dietary exposure to pesticide residues associated with response? How can laboratory data on lifetime exposures of animals be used to derive meaningful estimates of risk to children? Does risk accumulate more rapidly during the early years of life? This book will be of interest to policymakers, administrators of research in the public and private sectors, toxicologists, pediatricians and other health professionals, and the pesticide industry.