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What was the IR-4's urgent need to increase “Ultimately, if the EPA determines a pesticide is not safe for our
exponentially the herbicide residue levels al- families it is removed from the market,” states the USDA in their 2014
lowed on such foods as carrots, sweet potatoes, PDP report—but the USDA admit they don't test in the PDP for the most
fruits, grains and berries? commonly used herbicide in the U.S. (glyphosate) in food crops and food
“The IR-4 Project received multiple re- products—except for one USDA soy test in 2011.
quests for assistance to facilitate modifications “The PDP tests a wide variety of domestic and imported foods using
to the registration of glyphosate from public a sound statistical program and the most current laboratory methods.
sector scientists with USDA and the State Ag- Glyphosate is not detectable using the multi-residue methods (MRM)
ricultural Experiment Stations. These requests the PDP testing laboratories use and would require a specialized method.
were reviewed during IR-4 Project Food Use Glyphosate requires the single analyte method to test for residues,” says
Workshops and classified as high priority,” says Peter Wood, spokesman for the public affairs office of the USDA AMS.
Baron. When asked why the USDA PDP didn't use USDA-funded IR-4 glyphosate
The IR-4 insists there is no conflict of in- residue MRL data for those foods listed in the annual survey, the USDA
terest with government regulatory bodies and spokesman said, “the report does not include data from other sources.”
glyphosate industry manufacturers collectively Why then doesn't the USDA employ the single analyte method used
using their testing data to petition the EPA in the in the 2011 PDP testing of three hundred soybean samples for glyphosate
Federal Register to increase glyphosate MRL and its metabolite AMPA (aminomethylphosphonic acid)?
levels for crops. “USDA and EPA specialists discuss the selection of commodities and
“Though IR-4’s data development is inde- pesticides for testing. With USDA’s scientific input and EPA’s data needs,
pendent of the companies, IR-4 submissions are EPA makes the determination which commodities and pesticides are
coordinated with the companies. Due to provi- tested,” says Wood. “Currently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
sions of the Pesticide Registration Improvement (FDA) is testing corn and soybean grains for glyphosate residues. EPA
Act, IR-4 submissions are often classified as is waiting on the results from FDA testing before making the determina-
part of a company submission,” says the IR-4 tion if additional data are needed for its ongoing evaluation of glyphosate
executive director. The IR-4 also insists their tolerances to ensure that the levels set by EPA meet the safety standards
hidden glyphosate residue data developed under prescribed by the law,” he says. 7
USDA and EPA testing standards are “different” The FDA is responsible for enforcing EPA pesticide tolerances, but
from the USDA MRL monitoring data used admits this is the first time they have ever tested for glyphosate MRLs in
in national USDA food surveys to protect the any food commodity. “FDA has not routinely looked for glyphosate in its
health of the public. pesticide monitoring regulatory program for several reasons, including
“The data IR-4 develops are much different that available methods for detecting glyphosate were selective residue
than glyphosate monitoring data by EPA and methods that would have been very expensive and labor-intensive to
USDA; we are fully removed from that activ- implement in FDA field labs,” says Charlotte Lian, Ph.D., Plant Products
ity. USDA just released a report within the last Branch, Division of Plant Products and Beverages, Office of Food Safety
couple of weeks from their Pesticide Data Pro- Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, Food and Drug Admin-
gram out of the Agriculture Marketing Service. istration. 8
You may find some glyphosate monitoring data “FDA is aware of the 2015 IARC World Health Organization's as-
in that sample set,” says Baron. sessment of glyphosate. In the U.S., risk assessments of pesticides are
conducted by EPA,” says Lian.
THE PESTICIDE DATA PROGRAM
The USDA Pesticide Data Program (PDP) CIRCULAR NON-ANSWER
Annual Summary report is conducted by the How were glyphosate and the seven hundred fifty products containing
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) it licensed without abiding by the aggregate tolerance residue testing data
to collect data on pesticide and herbicide mandates for risk assessments under the Food Quality Protection Act?
residues in over ten thousand samples of fruit, The EPA dodges the question. Anne Overstreet, Chief Communication
vegetables, fresh and processed products, and Services Branch, Field and External Affairs Division Office of Pesticide
infant formulas throughout the U.S. using the Programs, Environmental Protection Agency says, “The Federal Food,
MRL tolerances set by the EPA. These PDP data Drug, and Cosmetic Act states: To make the safety finding, EPA consid-
are presented to the public to assure consumers ers, among other things: the toxicity of the pesticide and its break-down
the food they feed their families is safe. products, aggregate exposure to the pesticide in foods and from other
Wise Traditions SUMMER 2016 Wise Traditions 73