Regulating Pesticides in Food : The Delaney Paradox

Concern about health effects from exposure to pesticides in foods is growing as scientists learn more about the toxic properties of pesticides.

The Delaney Clause, a provision of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, prohibits tolerances for any pesticide that causes cancer in test animals or in humans if the pesticide concentrates in processed food or feeds.

This volume examines the impacts of the Delaney Clause on agricultural innovation and on the public's dietary exposure to potentially carcinogenic pesticide residues.

Four regulatory scenarios are described to illustrate the effects of varying approaches to managing oncogenic pesticide residues in food. Table of ContentsFront MatterExecutive Summary1. Introduction2. The Current System: Theory and Practice3. Estimates of Dietary Oncogenic Risks4. The Scenarios and the Results5. Comparing the Impact of the Scenarios6. Pesticide Innovation and the Economic Effects of Implementingthe Delaney ClauseAppendix A: Legislative History of the Pesticide Residues Amendmentof 1954 and the Delaney Clause of the Food Additives Amendment of1958Appendix B: Analytical Methodology for Estimating Oncogenic Risksof Human Exposure to Agricultural Chemicals in Food CropsAppendix C: Case Studies of the EPA's Application of the DelaneyClause in the Tolerance-Setting ProcessAppendix D: Pesticide InformationAppendix E: Survey of Pesticide R&D Directors: How Do CurrentLaws Affect Agricultural Pesticide Research Productivity?Index