The Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) of 1996 directs the Secretary of Agriculture to collect pesticide residue data on commodities most frequently consumed by infants and children. The AMS Pesticide Data Program (PDP) provides pesticide residue monitoring to support this requirement. PDP is a voluntary program for monitoring residues in the nation’s food supply. Since FQPA was passed, PDP has focused its residue data collection activities on foods highly consumed by infants and children.
PDP also supports EPA’s requirements under FQPA, which include stricter safety standards, especially for infants and children, and a complete reassessment of all existing pesticide tolerances. PDP’s residue data are used extensively by the EPA when looking at dietary pesticide exposure, a critical step to verify that all sources of exposure to pesticides meet U.S. safety standards.