3. Dietary risk assessment for pesticide residues in foods

Risks associated with long-term dietary intake were assessed for compounds for which MRLs were recommended and STMRs estimated at the present Meeting. International estimated daily intakes (IEDIs) were calculated by multiplying the concentrations of residues (STMRs, STMR-Ps) by the average daily per capita consumption estimated for each commodity on the basis of the GEMS/Food diet^[7],[8],[9].

IEDIs are expressed as a percentage of the ADI for a 60 kg person, with the exception of the intake calculated for the Far East, in which a body weight of 55 kg is used^[10]. The estimates are summarized in Table 10. The percentages are rounded to one whole number up to 9 and to the nearest 10 above that. Percentages above 100 should not necessarily be interpreted as giving rise to a health concern because of the conservative assumptions used in the assessments. The detailed calculations of long-term dietary intakes are given in Annex 3. A detailed calculation for dimethenamid-P is not included as all the STMRs estimated for these compounds are 0 mg/kg.

Benalaxyl, clofentenzine and propamocarb are evaluated at this Meeting under the periodic review programme. New ADIs for benalaxyl and propamocarb were allocated and the previous ADI for clofentenzine was confirmed. The long-term dietary risk assessment for these compounds will be considered during the periodic review for residues.

The dietary intake of azocyclotin was considered together with cyhexatin as there is a group ADI for these compounds.

The Meeting confirmed the previous ADI for ethoxyquin, however, currently no residue estimations in crops exist for this compound to perform the long-term dietary assessment.

The evaluation of malathion, carbendazim and imazalil performed at this Meeting do not affect the long-term assessment conducted by the previous JMPR for these compounds.

Calculations of dietary intake can be further refined at the national level by taking into account more detailed information, as described in the Guidelines for predicting intake of pesticide residues^[11].

Table 10. Summary of long-term dietary of risk assessments conducted by the 2005 JMPR.

Dried chili peppers

The long-term intake assessment was completed by the 2005 JMPR for all compounds taking into account the use of those compounds on all crops, including dry chili pepper. Details of the calculations are shown on Section 2.6 of this report.

The TMDI estimated ranged from 100 to 690% ADI for dicofol, from 10 to 120% ADI for vinclozolin and from 5 to 40% ADI for profenofos. The highest values were obtained for the European diet. The contribution of chili pepper to the total intake in each case ranged from 1 to 9%.

The IEDIs estimated for acephate, carbaryl, methamidophos and oxamyl ranged from 2 to 70% of ADI and for dimethoate ranged from 30 to 130 (European diet) % ADI. The contribution of chili pepper to the total intake in each case ranged from 1 to 14%.

The IEDI or mixed calculation based on available STMR and MRL were performed for carbendazim, chlorpyrifos, dinocap, ethephon, ethoprophos, imidaclorprid, malathion, methomyl, methoxyfenozide, piperonyl butoxide, pyrethrins, spinosad and tebufenozide and tolyfluanid, monocrotophos, oxamyl, phosphamidon, procymidone, profenofos, tebufenozide and vinclozolin. The intake ranged from 0 to 40% of the ADI. For diazinon, the intake ranged from 30 to 180% ADI. The contribution of chili pepper to the total intake in each case ranged from 0 to 1%.

TMDI calculation were also performed for other compounds based on current MRLs, incorporating proposed MRLs for dried chili peppers (see Table 3 Section 2.6). The total intake ranged from 0 to 120 (chlorpyrifos methyl in middle-eastern diet) % ADI. The contribution of chili pepper to the total intake in each case ranged from 0 to 2% with the exception of azinphos methyl (1-3%) and chlorothalonil (1-4%).

Assessment of risk from short-term dietary intake

Risks associated with short-term dietary intake were assessed for compounds for which STMR and HR values were estimated at the present Meeting and for which acute reference doses (acute RfDs) had been established, in commodities for which data on consumption were available. The procedures for calculating the short-term intake were defined primarily in 1997 at an FAO/WHO Geneva Consultation^[12], refined at the International Conference on Pesticide Residues Variability and Acute Dietary Risk Assessment sponsored by the Pesticide Safety Directorate and at subsequent JMPR Meetings. Data on the consumption of large portions were provided by the governments of Australia, France, The Netherlands, Japan, South Africa, the UK and the USA. Data on unit weights and per cent edible portions were provided by the governments of France, Sweden, the UK and the USA. The body weights of adults and children aged £ 6 years were provided by the governments of Australia, France, The Netherlands, South Africa, the UK and the USA. The consumption, unit weight and body weight data used for the short-term intake calculation were compiled by GEMS/FOOD and are available at www.who.int/foodsafety/chem/acute data The documents are dated 01/01/2003 (large portions and body weights) and 05/02/2003 (unit weights).

The procedures used for calculating the International estimated short-term intake (IESTI) are described in detail in Section 3 of the 2003 JMPR report. A detailed guidance on setting ARfD are described in Section 2.1 of the 2004 JMPR report.

ARfDs were established for benalaxyl, imazalil, ethoxyquin and propamocarb, but short-term intakes were not calculated. The assessment for benalaxyl, imazalil and propamocarb will be considered during the periodic review of residues for these compounds at a subsequent meeting. The assessment was not performed for ethoxyquin, as no STMRs and HRs data was available.

The evaluation of malathion performed at this Meeting did not affect the short-term assessment made by the previous JMPR for this compound.

On the basis of data received by the present or previous Meeting, the establishment of an ARfD for clofentezine, novaluron, fenhexamid, glyphosate and methoprene was considered to be unnecessary. Therefore, the short-term intakes of these compounds were not estimated.

The short-term intakes as percentages of the ARfDs for the general population and for children are summarized in Table 11. The percentages are rounded to one whole number up to 9 and to nearest 10 above that. Percentages above 100 should not necessarily be interpreted as giving rise to a health concern because of the conservative assumptions used in the assessments. The detailed calculations of short-term dietary intakes are given in Annex 4. A detailed calculation for dimethenamid-P is not included as all the STMRs and HRs estimated for this compound are 0 mg/kg.

Table 11: Summary of short-term dietary risk assessments conducted by the 2005 JMPR.

* For women of childbearing age

Spices

The 2004 JMPR calculated the short-term intake of mevinphos from the consumption of spices based on consumption data from France, and estimated that the intake represented 169% ARfD for adults and 161% for children. At the present Meeting, the calculation was also performed using the diets provided by Australia, Germany, UK and USA. The short-term intake ranged from 4 to 90% of the ARfD. Details of the calculation are reported in section 2.6. The Meeting concluded that national governments should refine this estimation using local consumption data.