PESTICIDE RESIDUES IN FOOD IN BRAZIL (2018 TO 2025) CHALLENGES AND MONITORING
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56238/arev7n10-237Keywords:
Pesticides, Residues in Food, Food Safety, Herbicides, Health SurveillanceAbstract
This narrative review article presents a mapping of the findings of the Program for the Analysis of Pesticide Residues in Food (PARA) in Brazil, covering the period from 2018 to 2025, and discusses strategies for herbicide monitoring. Official reports and recent national studies were analyzed, organizing comparative data by cycle and graphical visualizations in bars and lines. The results indicate stability in the portion of non-conformities, around 25%–26% of the samples over the period, and variation in the fraction of foods without residues. Acute risk remained low, peaking at 0.67% in 2023 and decreasing to 0.45% in 2025. No evidence of chronic risk above the acceptable daily intake was observed in any of the cycles evaluated. The timeline shows interruptions and resumption of collections, as well as recent initiatives to expand the program's coverage and assess the combined risk of multiple wastes. The discussion focuses on herbicides, considering toxicological reassessments, crop-specific restrictions and new analytical techniques of lower cost. As a practical contribution, the study offers a direct visual panel, easy to read and interpret, aimed at the community in general, including managers, teachers and citizens interested in food security. Recommendations are presented to improve data sampling, standardization, and transparency, strengthening national monitoring of pesticide residues by 2025.
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