Pesticides and Food:
Where to Get More Information
This Web site is based on an EPA brochure, "Pesticides and Food," which is available in grocery stores. If you would like to order a free paper copy of the brochure, call 1-800-490-9198 or order through our Web site. The publication "Pesticides and Food: What You and Your Family Need to Know" is available (publication number 735-F-98-001).
Additional links you may find interesting:
- Controlling Pests - information about pest management in the home, garden, schools, and food using common sense methods.
- Consumer Labeling Initiative - a voluntary, cooperative effort designed to present clear, consistent, and useful environmental, safe use, and health information on household consumer product labels. Government and industry groups are working together to make it easier for consumers to find, read, and understand label information, enabling consumers to better compare products and safely use the ones they select.
You may write to EPA at:
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Office of Pesticide Programs
Communication Services Branch (7506P)
1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20460
(703) 305-5017
For more information on the Federal program to regulate pesticides:
- Federal pesticide laws - overview of the laws that shape Federal pesticide policies
- The Food Quality Protection Act - overview of the 1996 law that sets tougher new standards
- Registration - overview of EPA's process for registering new pesticides
- Reregistration - overview of EPA's process for evaluating older pesticides against current standards (reregistration)
- Setting Tolerances for Pesticide Residues in Foods - overview of EPA's process for assessing the risks of pesticides on food and setting tolerances
- Which pesticides may be on food - listings of approved pesticides and tolerances for foods
- Human Health Risk Assessment - overview of EPA's approach to assessing human health risks from pesticides
- Environmental Risk Assessment - overview of EPA's approach to assessing environmental risks from pesticides
- Regulations addressing occupational exposure - overview of EPA's programs to protect workers from exposure to pesticides and requiring training and certification of applicators
- Endangered Species Protection Program - overview of EPA's program to protect endangered species from harmful pesticides while minimizing the impact of the program on pesticide users
- Information on FDA programs to monitor pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables
- Information on USDA programs to monitor pesticide residues in meat and poultry
Other sources of information:
National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC)
(general pesticide information)
(800) 858-7378
US Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20250
Meat and Poultry Hotline (800) 535-4555
National Organic Program (202) 720-3252
US Food and Drug Administration
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, MD 20857
FDA Food Information & Seafood Hotline (800) FDA-4010