Pesticide residues in food – Quantifying risk and protecting the consumer

This article provides an overview of consumer risk assessment and aims to show how pesticide residues data from field trials (supervised residue trials) are combined with dietary consumption data to assess risk to consumers. Models used for the calculation of dietary exposure are based on the premise that intake is a function of the concentration of pesticide in food and the amount of food consumed. The sources of data needed to inform these models are examined and some consideration is given to the future of risk assessment modelling. The emphasis is on current EU procedures.