Children's Food Safety Issues

Toxicologists know a great deal about a few chemicals, a lot about many,
and next to nothing about most.

Are there pesticide residues on the food children eat?
Pesticide residues are found in many foods commonly eaten by children. By the age of five, children may have consumed over one third of their entire lifetime dose of some pesticides, usually from fruits and vegetables. A substantial percentage of apples, peaches and strawberries tested in Canada are commonly found to have detectable levels of pesticide residue based on testing by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

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Are the residues dangerous?
Health Canada and Crop Life Canada (that represents chemical pesticide manufacturers) say there are no safety concerns. However, concerns have been raised about current regulation. Canada’s Office of the Auditor General raised concerns about the regulation of pesticides noting that “the range of weaknesses we identified raises serious questions about the overall management of the health and environmental risks associated with pesticides”. Among the concerns was the hurried registration and use of new pesticides before they were evaluated fully against current health and environmental standards, including determining the potential impact of new pesticides on children’s developing central nervous system.

The majority of chemicals approved for use are never safety tested. The federal government is undertaking a review of the most important compounds now but it’s a slow process.

The testing also does not take into account the cumulative effect of pesticide exposure on children. The World Health Organization has recommended that governments establish maximum residue limits for pesticides in food and water in order to protect children.

Although the levels of toxins found in and on foods is generally very low, this does not automatically mean that they are benign. Scientists are now learning that some chemicals, especially those classed as endocrine disruptors, are more dangerous at lower levels because at higher levels they trigger the body’s defense mechanisms.

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Resources

Canadian Environmental Law Association
Child Health and the Environment - A Primer
Environmental Defence - Toxic Nation
Toronto Public Health (2005). Environmental Threats to Children: Understanding Risks, Enabling Prevention.
Report of the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (2003). Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development.
World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe (2002). Children’s Health and Environment: A Review of Evidence. A joint report from the European Environment Agency and the WHO Regional Office for Europe.

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