Iowa Pesticide Applicator Practice Exam

What are the small amounts of pesticides found on food referred to as?

1. Residues

2. Deposits

3. Contaminants

4. Tolerances

The correct answer is: Residues

The term used to refer to small amounts of pesticides found on food is "residues." Residues are the remnants of pesticides that may remain on or in food after it has been treated with these substances during production, storage, or processing. This concept is important in the context of food safety and regulatory standards, as it relates to how much pesticide exposure is permissible for human consumption. When food is treated with pesticides, regulations are established to ensure that the levels of residues do not exceed certain limits deemed safe for human health. These limits are set based on scientific assessments of potential risks posed by exposure to these chemicals. This is distinct from "tolerances," which are specific legal limits for residues set by regulatory authorities. While the terms "deposits" and "contaminants" might imply presence of something undesirable, they don't specifically define the small amounts of pesticides remaining on food in the same manner as residues do. Residues include both the expected and acceptable levels remaining after agricultural practices, while contaminants may refer to unintended or harmful substances found in food. Hence, the correct understanding and terminology in the context of pesticides and food safety is that these small amounts are referred to as residues.