FOCUS ON PESTICIDES
a food safety focus be maintained.
If shipping specifications are left
to logistics people instead of those
responsible for food safety, for instance,
one risks inviting
trouble. As another
example, Keener
notes that a logistics
individual decided to
use cheaper pallets,
found to be inferior,
to store products
during the trans-Mediterranean and
trans-Atlantic crossing
as a cost-cutting
measure, which
caused damage to the
products and rejection
at the port of entry.
Returning again to the specifics of
carbendazim;in;imported;orange;juice,
FDA has determined that “...no action
is needed to remove product from
consumed by the public does not pose
safety concerns due to the low levels
of;carbendazim;residues;found;in;FDA
testing. At this time, the agency does not
believe there is a need
to continue testing
for;carbendazim;in
orange juice products
already in the United
States; however, we
do plan to conduct
follow-up testing...,” 2
possibly as a result
of some external
pressure, perhaps from
consumers and food
safety advocates. The
U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency
has determined that
any;level;of;carbendazim;in;orange
juice below 80 ppb does not pose a
health risk, 3;although;carbendazim-
contaminated samples of orange juice
and orange juice concentrate (containing
“Carbendazim is a
fungicidal pesticide
that is not legal for use
on oranges in the U.S.
but is allowed in many
countries.”
Wireless Monitoring!
HACCP Control Point
Monitoring Via
● LAN
● Wi-Fi
● Cellular
● Monitor Multiple Locations
● Walk-In Freezers and
Refrigerators
● Automatic Record Keeping
for HACCP Control Points
● E-Mail & Text Warnings
Without a PC
● Reduce Waste & Spoilage
Data Loggers from TANDD
10;ppb;or;more;carbendazim);have
been;found;from;Canada;and;Brazil,
presumably not a risk to public health by
these standards.
Companies that find themselves in
the midst of a food safety event, whether
an outright recall or the subject of
further investigation and testing (such
as;that;resulting;from;the;carbendazim
contamination of orange juice), if they
are to survive, must take a different
approach to food safety afterwards.
Food safety is not achieved by
accidental or superficial means.
Achieving it requires exquisite planning
and expert knowledge. The entirety of
the supply chain must be investigated.
Vagaries and ambiguities require
clarification. All identified risks and their
causal relationships demand solutions.
Agricultural chemicals in the food
supply, safe and otherwise, must be
scrutinized.;Avoiding;the;improper;use
or crop application of a pesticide is the
best means for averting regulatory action
or producing food that is questionable
in terms of its public health status. In
this particular episode and despite the
best efforts of FDA to provide assurances
that the residue-tainted orange juice is
safe, the negative impact of this report
on markets and consumers remains.
This regulatory scare, in other words, has
the same chilling impact as a true food
safety scare on markets and consumers.
Science-based;harmonization;of;food
safety standards, especially those related
to food additives, processing aids and
agricultural chemicals, would have
avoided this incident altogether. n
Barbara VanRenterghem, Ph.D., is the editorial
director of Food Safety Magazine. She can be
reached at barbara@foodsafetymagazine.com.
TandD US, LLC.
inquiries@tandd.com (518)669-9227 www.tandd.com
References
1. www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/Product-SpecificInformation/FruitsVegetablesJuices/
ucm288048.htm.
2. www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/Product-SpecificInformation/FruitsVegetablesJuices/
ucm287783.htm.
3. www.epa.gov/pesticides/factsheets/chemicals/
carbendazim-fs.htm.
