3.2.2 Regulations in the United States of America

In the USA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates pesticides with two federal statutes (see https://www.epa.gov/pesticides/regulating-pesticides) under the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) of 1996. 

The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), establishes the amount of pesticide residues permitted on food for consumption. 

The EPA produces fact sheets, prepared as part of EPA Registration and Re- registration programmes. Where a fact sheet has been issued for a ‘new’ active ingredient, this is noted. 

The EPA also requires that all approved pesticides are clearly labelled with instructions for proper use, handling, storage and disposal: regulated under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA).

In addition, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides guidance on food commodities and pesticides on: https://www.fda.gov/food/chemical-contaminants-pesticides/pesticides (but at the time of writing, reports appear to be 3 years in arrears).