Toxicological Decisions and Recommendations Resulting from the Safety Assessment of Pesticide Residues in Food

Abstract

The FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Pesticide Residues since 1963 has been entrusted by the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization with the responsibility of assessing possible hazards to man from the occurrence of residues of pesticides in foods. The toxicological and administrative decisions of this expert group are reviewed in this paper with particular regard to the scientific background which served as a basis to the allocation of acceptable daily intakes (ADIs). Exhaustive references to documents issued after each meeting have been assembled in a way intended to facilitate the search for important sources of information to the worker in toxicology who might not be completely familiar with the dynamics of this activity at the international level.