Food Safety Magazine, April/May 2012

FOCUS ON PESTICIDES
By Barbara VanRenterghem, Ph.D.
Carbendazim Residues in
Orange Juice

n;December;28,;2011,;the;U.S.;Food
and;Drug;Administration;(FDA);learned
from a juice manufacturer that it had
detected low levels of carbendazim
(Derosal®) in some of its orange juice
products and also in some of its competitors’ products.

The pesticide was also reported in some Brazilian orange juice concentrate that had not been processed into finished product.1

Shortly;thereafter,;FDA;sent;a;letter;to;the;Juice Products Association—the trade association that represents the fruit and juice products industry—stating that carbendazim is a pesticide that is not approved for use on oranges in the United States and that its residues are;not;allowed;in;orange;juice.;Accordingly,;FDA;will not permit orange juice products containing measurable levels of carbendazim to continue to enter the country.

While;FDA;maintains;that;orange;juice;in;the;U.S. does not pose a safety concern due to the presence of this pesticide, the fact that carbendazim and its residues have been detected in imported orange juice is nonetheless illegal.

Carbendazim is a fungicidal pesticide that is not legal for use on oranges in the U.S. but is allowed in many countries. The burden of proof falls on juice importers to ensure that such products are not contaminated prior to entry into U.S. markets.

Food Safety Magazine;Editorial;Board;member;Larry Keener states that importers have a responsibility to follow the code of regulations for any agricultural O

An expensive,
but preventable, lesson

product they are bringing into the U.S. from a foreign country, including asking the foreign supplier what chemicals are put on the product; what residues remain after harvest and processing; what the risks to public health may be and to establish programs in that country for quality testing and screening of those products. Only after the test results are known can one agree to take receipt of the food product.

Keener emphasizes that contracts should be used to establish best practices, including all processes, monitoring programs and banned chemicals, and to give suppliers options should a particular chemical used in that country not be acceptable for use in the U.S. An objective third-party testing laboratory (properly qualified) can confirm that the contract is being implemented.

Problems occur, he notes, when the supply chain cannot be verified. Importers must be exceedingly aggressive in this regard.

Keener provides the following example. When importing food from the;Middle;East,;quality;reports;turned up lindane, an agricultural, neurotoxic insecticide. He immediately hopped a plane to the region to visit the producer. Upon entering the plant, he smelled a chemical with a characteristic pesticide odor, which had been used to control a recent insect infestation at the facility. The chemical was lindane and it had inadvertently contaminated the food.

Coordination is imperative between importers and exporters, as well as with any brokers who may find a grower or processor for the importer. Having additional layers between the importer and primary producer can sometimes obscure supply chain verification; therefore, a thorough knowledge of all involved parties is essential.