Pesticide regulations and their malpractice implications on food and environment safety

Although pesticides have a positive effect on plant health in terms of insect pests and diseases control, increased productivity and improved crop storage, their malpractice impacts on food safety negatively. Pesticide residues and corresponding metabolites are left as runoff to the environment affecting non-targeted organisms like fish, bees, butterflies, birds and other beneficial organisms in soil and water bodies. Moreover, the application of pesticides in non-agriculture activities goes unnoticed, such as spraying for anopheles mosquito to control malaria. Human health effects caused by pesticide residues in food include headache, vomiting, itching and skin irritation, restlessness, dizziness, breathing difficulties, neurotoxicity and chronic poisoning-related diseases such as cancer and death incidences. Maximum residue limits are the maximum pesticide residues limit in food considered safe to human as set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission and the joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization meeting on pesticide residues. The residues of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and chlorpyrifos are reported in various foods globally. Additionally, food safety is largely obstructed by illegal use of pesticides and the presence of counterfeit pesticides in the market. This review provides detail on pesticide control and regulations, residues in food, their health impacts and link approaches like good agricultural practices for ensuring sustainability on safe food production.