How is the safety of imported food products determined?
The FDA does random testing of imported food for pesticides. Samples are collected at the point of entry into U.S. commerce. Foods that are imported into the United States must meet the same pesticide tolerance levels as domestic food. Following one violation FDA may automatically detain all future shipments if there is reason to believe that the problem will persist. More imported products are found to be in violation than domestic products, but the percent is still very low, generally less than 1% for domestic food and less than 5% for imported food. A violation usually does not mean that dangerously high levels of pesticide are present. A violation can occur when residues of a pesticide not registered in the U.S. are present, or when pesticide food residues are present for which no tolerance has been established. Many of our imported foods come from Mexico. One aim of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is to insure that pesticide use in Mexico results in fewer violation
