Food > Chemical Evaluation > Chemical Residue Annual Reports  

Report
On Pesticides, Agricultural Chemicals, Environmental Pollutants and
Other Impurities in Agri-Food Commodities of Plant Origin

Fiscal Year 2003/2004

Volume 2

Fresh Fruit and Vegetables
Processed Fruit and Vegetables
Maple Syrup

CFIA National Chemical Residues Monitoring Program (NCRMP)

Index

Background Information

Program Rationalization
Decision criteria for including and cycling chemical compounds
Statistical considerations
Program Definitions
Legal Authority
Contact
Participating laboratories and locations

Fresh fruit and vegetables

• Compliance Summary
• Notes and footnote explanations
• Residue testing summary for domestic fresh produce
• Residue testing summary for imported fresh produce
• Residue prevalence
• Summary by country
• Frequency of multiple findings

Monitoring of domestic fresh fruit and vegetable products by commodity and tests

Directed sampling of domestic suspect fresh fruit and vegetable products by commodity and tests

Monitoring of imported fresh fruit and vegetable products by commodity and tests (A-K) | (L-Z)

Directed sampling of suspect fresh fruit and vegetable products by commodity and tests

Processed fruit and vegetables

• Compliance Summary
• Residue testing summary for domestic processed products
• Residue testing summary for imported processed products

Monitoring of domestic processed fruit and vegetable products by commodity and tests

Directed sampling of domestic suspect processed fruit and vegetable products by commodity and tests

Monitoring of imported processed fruit and vegetable products by commodity and tests

Directed sampling of imported suspect processed fruit and vegetable samples by specific tests

Maple Syrup

Compliance Summary
Monitoring of domestic maple syrup by specific tests
Directed sampling of suspect domestic maple syrup

CHEMICAL RESIDUE PROGRAM RATIONALIZATION

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) pursues a policy of managing the National Chemical Residue Monitoring Program (NCRMP) in accordance with the principles established in the manuals entitled:

"Comprehensive five year plan for Chemical and Biological Risk Management", AAFC, 1992 "Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods", CODEX Alimentarius , FAO/ WHO, Second ed, Rome 1993 "Pesticide Residues in Food", Codex Alimentarius, FAO/ WHO second ed. Rome 1993.

These manuals provides a comprehensive description of the approaches utilized. There is a recognition that no government agency can routinely monitor for all residue / commodity combinations nor is it necessary to do so in order to protect consumers. With a clear understanding of toxicological, pharmacokinetic and physiological parameters it is possible to quantitatively assess concerns that have the greatest impact on public health. This approach is usually referred to as Ranked Risk Assessment.

Statistical Considerations:

Although the monitoring program is not designed to provide highly accurate statistical estimates of the violative percentages of a population, such estimates are conveniently made available as auxiliary information. For example if no violative samples are detected in a sample of 300 units it is convenient to infer with 95% confidence that the violative rate in the population falls at something less than 1.00%.

Although precision becomes rapidly attenuated with smaller sample sizes, useful information can still be obtained from smaller sample sizes. Smaller size samples must be carried out for longer periods before significant inferences can be drawn from the data provided. In addition smaller sample sizes are severely restricted in their ability to show trends over the short time period. With a sample size of 300, seasonal trends may be evident especially if the seasonal variation is larger. By comparison seasonal variations would not be as evident in sample sizes of less than 150 samples / year.

If initial monitoring indicates that a contaminant in a given food commodity presents a significant problem sampling plans may be adjusted, but only to the point that such effort will aid in the understanding of the problem or facilitate regulatory control. Such increased sampling may permit a study of trends, geographical variation and seasonal prevalence and thereby aid in the design of effective control strategies. Merely increasing the monitoring sample size without a strategy which first addresses potential benefits from such an increase is of little avail. Once a problem has been identified by the monitoring program, an effective control strategy would depend not on increased rate of monitoring but rather on the implementation of effective follow-up or directed sampling.

PROGRAM DEFINITIONS

CFIA-HC FOOD SAMPLING AND TESTING TERMINOLOGY

Food sampling and testing are part of CFIA and HC daily activities and are conducted for a multitude of reasons in both organizations, covering a wide range of activities including monitoring, directed sampling, compliance testing, pre-market surveys, post-market surveys and all other data gathering activities. Based on the design and the purpose of the sampling and testing, different terminology is used by both organizations.

Together these activities may be referred to as surveillance activities in a broader perspective.

The following terminology is intended to harmonize the definitions used by both CFIA and HC.

Monitoring is an unbiased sampling, the processing and analysis of samples to provide information on the occurrence and/or levels of chemical residues / contaminants, food additives, microbiological organisms and nutritional components in pre-defined sample populations. Monitoring information is normally obtained through random sampling. The sampled lots are not held and are usually available to consumers before the results are known.

Monitoring sampling is conducted to assess human dietary exposure, perform risk assessments, monitor trends, identify potential problems and at-risk population groups, set standards and guidelines, and evaluate the effectiveness of programs.

Directed sampling is biased, directed at targeted sample populations (e.g., commodity types or geographical areas) to investigate and verify any suspected problems of potential health risk suggested in the monitoring program.

Compliance testing is directed at specific samples suspected of not complying with specific regulations and guidelines governing the sale and distribution of food. The product is detained until the test results indicate the appropriate disposition. The approach for compliance testing is referred to as in-depth sampling and follows Codex Alimentarius specifications. The establishment of a chain of custody of the sample is essential if legal proceedings are expected to ensue.

Special or pilot surveys are used to gather information about the occurrence of chemical residues, food additives, microbiological organisms and nutritional value not meeting the requirement of the other program components, above. These are usually limited in scope and duration and are not risk based.

Blitzes are used to obtain a snapshot in time at some point during the fiscal year. The scheduling of blitzes is unannounced. A blitz may allow for the sampling for example of every herd presented for slaughter for a specified, usually short, period of time not exceeding 2 to 6 weeks.

Legal sampling

is undertaken for specific conditions where legal action is the anticipated follow up action. Certain additional criteria are demanded during the sampling submission and laboratory testing of these samples. Adherence to all quality assurance is essential. Legal advice should be sought prior to the initiation of such activities.

Authority The Canadian Food and Drugs Act prescribes certain restrictions on the production, sale, composition and content of foods and food products. Paragraph 4 (below) of the Act describes prohibitions on the sale of food. From the standpoint of the chemical residue and contamination programs the most important restrictions are those detailed in sections 4(a) and 4(d). While a Health Hazard Assessment could find food in violation of any of the 5

sections, the restriction most often used by CFIA inspectors is the prohibition against the sale of "adulterated" food (4(d). Standards for "adulteration" can be found throughout the Food and Drug Regulations but most are to be found in Division 15 of the Regulations. Key sections of Division 15 are outlined in the box below.