Recently, consumers may have encountered headlines about pesticide residues in food.  However, decoding the data cited in these stories and understanding the broader context of how regulators ensure the safety of our food supply is more than most readers walk away with.  This publication, from scientists at Bayer and the University of Idaho, describes how regulatory agencies assess the level of pesticide residues in crops, how they determine the legal residue limits for a crop, how they determine if or how much of a pesticide people are exposed to, and how these values compare to the amounts that are considered safe for use in agriculture.  All of these evaluations are made using a very conservative scientific approach.  Specific topics covered include:

• how modern pesticides were developed
• trends in pesticide use
• pesticide regulation in the United States, including safety testing
• measures taken to reduce risks to the consumer

The authors wanted to provide this background information for health care professionals (such as dieticians and physicians) and have used the herbicide glyphosate as a case study.  The full journal article can be accessed here:  https://bit.ly/2U9TR4G.