INSECTICIDE RESIDUES IN FOODS OF ANIMAL ORIGIN - A RISK ASSESSMENT

An assessment of the risks associated with residues of selected insecticides in foods of animal origin was undertaken. The assessment is organized so as to combine information on toxicological hazards with data on exposure to arrive at recommendations for risk management and avoidance. The assessment focuses on dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), heptachlor, and hexachlorohexane (HCH) as being typical of the agricultural insecticides which are of public health concern. The lessons learned from these insecticides are applied to the more general case of pesticide residues in foods of animal origin.