Current State of Chemical Food Safety and Risk Assessment in Fresh Vegetables Produced in Chile

Decisions about the level of pesticide residues in fresh vegetables are part of the pesticide evaluation and their approval process for its distribution and commercialization in Chile. The improper and excessive use of pesticides including the overuse and harvesting before the residues have washed off can lead to a high amount of residues and pesticide metabolites. The Chilean government have adopted policies to reduce the pesticide concern although the enforcement and implementation is limited due to the lack of coordination of some public institutions related to agriculture, environment and public health. The data from the surveillance system of fresh vegetables has been published since 2016 reporting evidences of pesticide residues above the Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) of Chile. The risk and uncertainty of this data report the dietary intakes of pesticide residues within acceptable levels should not exceed the statutory established by governments and international organizations. There is a relevant need to support the official authorities with high quality scientific information to support the decision making process for modify and regulate the use of pesticides in the agriculture decreasing their impacts in the human health and environment. This chapter aims to evaluate current data related to chemical food safety and dietary risk assessment due to pesticide residues in fresh vegetables from Chile.