Food chemistry - Targeted surveys - Final report
Summary
Targeted surveys provide information on potential food hazards and enhance the Canadian Food Inspection Agency's (CFIA's) routine monitoring programs. These surveys provide evidence regarding the safety of the food supply, identify potential emerging hazards, and contribute new information and data to food categories where it may be limited or non-existent. They are often used by the agency to focus surveillance on potential areas of higher risk. Surveys can also help to identify trends and provide information about how industry complies with Canadian regulations.
Grain, fruit and vegetable based products are staple foods consumed by all age groups in CanadaFootnote 1,Footnote 2. These are products of agricultural commodities and may contain pesticide residues introduced from the environment or if the crops were treated with pesticides in the field, during transport and/or during storage to prevent damage from insects, moulds or other pests. These products may also contain levels of metals from environmental sources. Though metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury are not permitted to be added to foods, and manufacturers are responsible for measures aimed at reducing accidental introduction of these elements in foods (for example, from lead solder in steel equipment), their presence is expected in foods, at very low levels, primarily as a result of their natural presence in the environment.
The main objectives of this targeted survey were to generate additional baseline surveillance data on the level of pesticide residues and metal levels in selected legume and vegetable-based foods available on the Canadian market and to compare the detection rates of pesticides in this targeted survey to those recorded in previous surveys.
A total of 1486 samples of bakery products, vegan products, fruit-based and vegetable-based products were collected and tested for pesticides and metals. Pesticide residues were detected in 892 (60%) of the samples. The overall compliance rate for pesticides in products tested in this survey assessed against maximum residue limits (MRLs) established by Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) of Health Canada was 97.9%Footnote 3. There were 49 non-compliant results associated with 31 samples. Of the 49 non-compliant results 45 were associated with pesticide residues exceeding the general MRL of 0.1 parts per million (ppm), while 4 were pesticide levels above the specific established MRLs (0.01 to 0.05 ppm).
All of the survey samples collected were analyzed for a suite of 19 metals. Only the data for metals of highest concern to human health at low levels of exposure are presented in this report, most notably: arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. Arsenic and cadmium had the lowest and the highest overall detection rate, respectively. Dehydrated vegetables, such as mushrooms and root/tuber vegetables, were found to contain the highest levels of metals.
There are no maximum limits (MLs) set in Canada for metal levels in the products tested. All data generated were forwarded to Health Canada for human risk assessment and determined to pose no concern to human health. All non-compliant pesticide results obtained during the course of this survey were forwarded to the CFIA's Office of Food Safety and Recall (OFSR). The extent of the follow up actions taken by the agency was based on the level of the contamination and the resulting health concern as determined by a health risk assessment.
What are targeted surveys
Targeted surveys are used by the CFIA to focus its surveillance activities on areas of highest health risk. The information gained from these surveys provides support for the allocation and prioritization of the agency's activities to areas of greater concern. Originally started as a project under the Food Safety Action Plan (FSAP), targeted surveys have been embedded in our regular surveillance activities since 2013. Targeted surveys are a valuable tool for generating information on certain hazards in foods, identifying and characterizing new and emerging hazards, informing trend analysis, prompting and refining health risk assessments, highlighting potential contamination issues, as well as assessing and promoting compliance with Canadian regulations.
Food safety is a shared responsibility. We work with federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments and provide regulatory oversight of the food industry to promote safe handling of foods throughout the food production chain. The food industry and retail sectors in Canada are responsible for the food they produce and sell, while individual consumers are responsible for the safe handling of the food they have in their possession.
Why did we conduct this survey
Chemical hazards in foods can come from a variety of sources. Pesticides may be present as contaminants in the environment or they may be deliberately used by farmers to protect food and crops from pests. Different pest pressures and climatic conditions in food export countries may result in the potential use of pesticides that are not approved for use in Canada, or result in pesticide residues in products that do not meet established Canadian MRLs to be legally sold in CanadaFootnote 3. Inappropriate use of pesticides may pose a health risk to consumers, with the risk dependent on the type of pesticide, its concentration, the effects on the human body, and the length of exposure to the pesticide by the consumer.
Metals are naturally-occurring elements that may be present in very low amounts in rock, water, soil, or air. Therefore, finding these substances in food products is not unexpected as trace levels generally reflect normal accumulation from the environmentFootnote 4,Footnote 5. They may be present in finished foods due to their presence in the ingredients used to manufacture those foods, and/or may be unintentionally incorporated along the food production chain.
There are a number of metals that may be of concern to human health at certain levels of exposure. Most notably, arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury have been shown to have effects on human health, even at low levels of exposure. The results of only these metals of highest concern are presented in this report.
Grain, fruit and vegetable based foods are products of agricultural commodities and may contain pesticide residues introduced from the environment or if the crops were treated with pesticides in the field, during transport and/or during storage to prevent damage from insects, moulds or other pests. The objective of this targeted survey was to obtain additional baseline data on the levels of pesticides, arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury in these types of products available on the Canadian market, and to compare the detection rate of pesticides in foods with previous targeted surveys.
What did we sample
A variety of domestic and imported bakery products (bread, bagels, buns, English muffins, wraps/pita), vegan products (meat alternatives, tofu/bean curd, cheese/cheese spread alternative, vegan mayonnaise), fruit-based and vegetable-based products (canned/jarred/in cup fruits and vegetables, dried/dehydrated fruits and vegetables, vegetable chips) available on the Canadian market were sampled between April 1, 2020 and March 21, 2021. Samples of products were collected from local/regional retail locations located in 11 major cities across Canada. These cities encompassed 4 Canadian geographical areas:
- Atlantic (Halifax and Moncton)
- Quebec (Montreal and Quebec City)
- Ontario (Toronto and Ottawa)
- West (Calgary, Saskatoon, Vancouver, Victoria and Winnipeg)
The number of samples collected from these cities was in proportion to the relative population of the respective areas. The shelf life, storage conditions, and the cost of food on the open market were not considered in this survey.
| Product type | Number of domestic samples | Number of imported samples | Number of samples of unspecified Table Note a origin | Total number of samples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakery products | 379 | 81 | 282 | 742 |
| Fruit products | 13 | 268 | 19 | 300 |
| Vegan products | 84 | 67 | 44 | 195 |
| Vegetable products | 64 | 167 | 18 | 249 |
| Total | 540 | 583 | 363 | 1486 |
How were samples analyzed and assessed
Samples were analyzed by an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited food testing laboratory under contract with the Government of Canada. See Appendix A for a list of the pesticides included in the multi-residue pesticide method. Glyphosate and its metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) were also tested for in 742 samples of bakery products using separate methodology; vegan products, fruit-based and vegetable-based products samples were excluded from this analysis. Samples were also subjected to a multi-metal method that analyzes for 19 metals. The data for metals of highest concern to human health at low levels of exposure, most notably: arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury, are presented in this report. The results are based on the food products as sold and not necessarily as they would be consumed.
Results were assessed according to Canadian pesticide MRLs, established by the PMRA of Health Canada and appear in their MRL databaseFootnote 3. Pesticide MRLs were applied to the specified raw agricultural commodity as well as to any processed food product that contains the commodity unless otherwise specified. According to section B.15.002 (1) of the Food and Drug Regulations (FDR), in the absence of a specific MRL, residues of a pesticide or other agricultural chemical must not exceed the general MRL of 0.1 ppm.
Contaminants and other adulterating substances in foods have regulatory maximum levels that are established by Health Canada. n the absence of a specific maximum level, they assess the levels of arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead on a case-by-case basis using the most current scientific data available.
What were the survey results
Pesticides
A total of 1486 samples of domestic and imported bakery products, vegan products, fruit-based and vegetable-based products were tested for over 480 pesticides in this targeted survey. Pesticide residues were not detected in 594 (40%) samples. Of the samples with detectable pesticide residues, 91.8% contained from 1 to 3 pesticide residues per sample. The maximum of 23 pesticide residues per sample occurred in samples of dried chili peppers. A summary of the results by product type can be seen in Table 2.
| Product type | Number of samples | Number (percentage) of samples with detected pesticide residue(s) | Number (percentage) of non-compliant samples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bakery products | 742 | 652 (88%) | 5 (0.7%) |
| Fruit products Table Note b | 300 | 94 (31%) | 5 (1.7%) |
| Vegan products Table Note b | 195 | 35 (18%) | 0 (0%) |
| Vegetable products Table Note b | 249 | 111 (45%) | 21 (8.4%) |
| Total | 1486 | 892 (60%) | 31 (2.1%) |
When evaluated by commodity, the percentage of samples with pesticide residues detected ranged from 88% in bakery products to 18% in vegan products. Although only bakery products were tested for glyphosate, glyphosate was the pesticide with the highest overall detection rate. Piperonyl butoxide was the second most frequently detected pesticide. All results reported for these pesticides were compliant. The overall compliance rate for pesticides in the products tested was 97.9%. Compliance was assessed against the MRLs which were in place when the survey was carried out. There were 49 non-compliant results associated with 31 samples. Of the 49 non-compliant results 45 were associated with pesticide residues exceeding the general MRL of 0.1 ppm, while 4 were pesticide levels above the specific established MRLs (0.01 to 0.05 ppm). The average amount of residue detected in the non-compliant samples was 0.53 ppm.
Of the 1486 products tested, 1363 samples were conventionally grown and 123 products were labelled as "organic" (note that identification of samples as organic is based solely on the info on the product label). The detection rates were 64% and 19% respectively, for conventionally grown and organic products. The average amount of pesticide residues detected in the conventional and organic samples were 0.43 ppm and 0.13 ppm, respectively. Of the 31 non-compliant samples, 4 were organic samples.
All non-compliant results obtained during the course of this survey were forwarded to the CFIA's Office of Food Safety and Recall (OFSR) and to the CFIA Organic Office for follow-up. The CFIA conducted appropriate follow up activities to improve compliance which included further testing of similar products in subsequent years.
Metals
All 1486 samples collected were subjected to a multi-metal laboratory method that analyzes for 19 metals. Only the results of the metals of highest human health concern (arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury) are presented in this report. While 75% of the survey samples contained 1 or more of these 4 metals, only 6% of the samples contained traces of 3 or 4 metals.
| Product type | Number of samples | % positive for arsenic | Average level (range) of arsenic (ppm) | % positive for cadmium | Average level (range) of cadmium (ppm) | % positive for lead | Average level (range) of lead (ppm) | % positive for mercury | Average level (range) of mercury (ppm) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bakery products | 742 | 2 | 0.058 (<LOD-0.183) | 92 | 0.023(<LOD-0.108) | 3 | 0.026 (<LOD-0.070) | 6 | 0.0015 (<LOD-0.0145) |
| Fruit products | 300 | 9 | 0.042 (<LOD-0.118) | 2 | 0.025 (<LOD-0.043) | 21 | 0.029 (<LOD-0.185) | 34 | 0.0012(<LOD-0.0021) |
| Vegan products | 195 | 3 | 0.050 (<LOD-0.110) | 55 | 0.022 (<LOD-0.069) | 4 | 0.040 (<LOD-0.107) | 4 | 0.0077 (<LOD-0.0158) |
| Vegetable products | 249 | 26 | 0.254 (<LOD-3.79) | 56 | 0.203 (<LOD-1.42) | 36 | 0.084 (<LOD-0.788) | 34 | 0.0824 (<LOD-3.38) |
<LOD = Below the limit of detection (0.0005 to 0.01 ppm, depending on the laboratory and the analyte)
Note: Average values were calculated using only results for samples with quantifiable metal levels
Table 3 illustrates the level of these metals found in the products tested. Arsenic and cadmium had the lowest and the highest overall detection rate, respectively. Dehydrated vegetables, such as mushrooms and root/tuber vegetables, were found to contain the highest levels of metals. High levels of metals in these products were consistent with the fact that some vegetables can rapidly accumulate elevated concentrations of metals from the contaminated environmentFootnote 4,Footnote 5. The drying process is known to further concentrate metal contaminants. The average levels of metals were similar for all other categories. There are no regulations in Canada for the levels of these metals in the products tested. Health Canada determined that none of the products posed a health risk to consumers.
What do the survey results mean
Table 4 compares this survey results with past survey data for pesticidesFootnote 6,Footnote 7,Footnote 8. The non-compliance rate for this survey was within the range observed in for other survey years. Although the detection rate appears to be higher than the detection rate reported for other survey years, the differences can be attributed to the differences in the specific types of products tested. When compared to an overall detection rate (72%) in a previous survey that also included grain products (2016), the detection rate for this survey (60%) was comparable. It should be re-iterated that product types were selected due to their high likelihood of containing pesticide residues, and that the observed prevalence is not necessarily representative of the prevalence of pesticide residues in all foodstuffs available at retail.
Consistent with its extensive usage worldwide and in Canada, glyphosate accounted for 84% of positive results in baked goodsFootnote 9. As observed in previous survey years, glyphosate and piperonyl butoxide were the most frequently detected pesticides. Highest individual levels of pesticides were observed in vegetable products. In general, the same types of non-compliant results found in the current survey were found in previous surveys in similar product types.
| Survey year | Number of samples | Number (percentage) of samples with detected pesticide residue(s) | Number (percentage) of non-compliant samples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 1486 | 892 (60%) | 31 (2.1%) |
| 2019 | 2849 | 1446 (51%) | 73 (2.9%) |
| 2018 | 3348 | 1327 (40%) | 22 (0.7%) |
| 2016 Table Note c | 3998 | 1189 (30%) | 17 (0.4%) |
Appendix A
List of analytes (483) included in the PESTICIDE-GCLC multi-residue pesticide program used by the accredited laboratory in this survey
- 3-hydroxyCarbofuran
A
- Acephate
- Acetamiprid
- Acetochlor
- Acibenzolar-s-methyl
- Aclonifen
- Alachlor
- Alanycarb
- Aldicarb
- Aldicarb Sulfone
- Aldicarb sulfoxide
- Aldrin
- Allidochlor
- Ametryn
- Aminocarb
- Anilofos
- Aramite
- Aspon
- Atrazine
- Azaconazole
- Azinphos-ethyl
- Azinphos-methyl
- Azoxystrobin
B
- Benalaxyl
- Bendiocarb
- Benfluralin
- Benfuracarb
- Benodanil
- Benomyl
- Benoxacor
- Benzoximate
- Benzoylprop-ethyl
- BHC Alpha
- BHC beta
- Bifenazate
- Bifenox
- Bifenthrin
- Biphenyl
- Bitertanol
- Boscalid
- Bromacil
- Bromophos
- Bromophos-ethyl
- Bromopropylate
- Bromuconazole
- Bupirimate
- Buprofezin
- Butachlor
- Butafenacil
- Butocarboxim
- Butocarboxim sulfoxide
- Butoxycarboxim
- Butralin
- Butylate
C
- Cadusafos
- Captafol
- Captan
- Carbaryl
- Carbendazim
- Carbetamide
- Carbofenthion
- Carbofuran
- Carbosulfan
- Carboxin
- Carfentrazone-ethyl
- Chlorantraniliprole
- Chlorbenside
- Chlorbromuron
- Chlorbufam
- Chlordane cis
- Chlordane trans
- Chlordimeform
- Chlorfenson
- Chlorfenvinphos (e+z)
- Chlorfluazuron
- Chlorflurenol-methyl
- Chloridazon
- Chlorimuron-ethyl
- Chlormephos
- Chlorobenzilate
- Chloroneb
- Chloropropylate
- Chlorothalonil
- Chloroxuron
- Chlorpropham
- Chlorpyrifos
- Chlorpyrifos-methyl
- Chlorthiamid
- Chlorthion
- Chlorthiophos
- Chlortoluron
- Chlozolinate
- Clethodim
- Clodinafop-propargyl
- Clofentezine
- Clomazone
- Cloquintocet-mexyl
- Clothianidin
- Coumaphos
- Crotoxyphos
- Crufomate
- Cyanazine
- Cyanofenphos
- Cyanophos
- Cyazofamid
- Cycloate
- Cycloxydim
- Cycluron
- Cyfluthrin (I,II,III,IV)
- Cyhalothrin-lambda
- Cymoxanil
- Cypermethrin
- Cyprazine
- Cyproconazole
- Cyprodinil
- Cyromazine
D
- Dacthal (chlorthal-dimethyl)
- delta-HCH (delta-lindane)
- Deltamethrin
- delta-trans-allethrin
- Demeton-O
- Demeton-S
- Demeton-S-methyl
- Demeton-s-methyl sulfone
- Demeton-s-methyl sulfoxide
- Des-ethyl Atrazine
- Desmedipham
- Desmetryn
- Di-allate
- Dialofos
- Diazinon
- Diazinon o analogue
- Dichlobenil
- Dichlofenthion
- Dichlofluanid
- Dichloran
- Dichlormid
- Dichlorvos
- Diclobutrazole
- Diclocymet
- Diclofop-methyl
- Dicofol
- Dicrotophos
- Dieldrin
- Diethatyl-ethyl
- Diethofencarb
- Difenoconazole
- Diflubenzuron
- Dimethachlor
- Dimethametryn
- Dimethenamid
- Dimethoate
- Dimethomorph
- Dimoxystrobin
- Diniconazole
- Dinitramine
- Dinotefuran
- Dioxacarb
- Dioxathion
- Diphenamid
- Diphenylamine
- Dipropetryn
- Diquat
- Disulfoton
- Disulfoton sulfone
- Diuron
- Dodemorph
E
- Edifenphos
- Emamectin B1a
- Emamectin B1b
- Endosulfan alpha
- Endosulfan beta
- Endosulfan sulfate
- Endrin
- EPN
- Epoxiconazole
- EPTC
- Esfenvalerate
- Etaconazole
- Ethalfluralin
- Ethiofencarb
- Ethiofencarb sulfone
- Ethiofencarb sulfoxide
- Ethion
- Ethiprole
- Ethirimol
- Ethofumesate
- Ethoprop
- Ethylan
- Etofenprox
- Etoxazole
- Etridiazole
- Etrimfos
F
- Famoxadone
- Fenamidone
- Fenamiphos
- Fenamiphos sulfone
- Fenamiphos sulfoxide
- Fenarimol
- Fenazaquin
- Fenbuconazole
- Fenchlorphos (Ronnel)
- Fenfuram
- Fenhexamid
- Fenitrothion
- Fenobucarb
- Fenoxanil
- Fenoxycarb
- Fenpropathrin
- Fenpropidin
- Fenpropimorph
- Fenpyroximate
- Fenson
- Fensulfothion
- Fenthion
- Fentrazamide
- Fenuron
- Fenvalerate
- Fipronil
- Flamprop-isopropyl
- Flamprop-methyl
- Flonicamid
- Fluazifop-butyl
- Flubendiamide
- Flucarbazone-sodium
- Fluchloralin
- Flucythrinate
- Fludioxonil
- Flufenacet
- Flufenoxuron
- Flumetralin
- Fluometuron
- Fluorochloridone
- Fluorodifen
- Fluoxastrobin
- Fluquinconazole
- Flusilazole
- Flutolanil
- Flutriafol
- Fluvalinate
- Folpet
- Fonofos
- Forchlorfenuron
- Formetanate
- Fosthiazate
- Fuberidazole
- Furalaxyl
- Furathiocarb
G
- Griseofulvin
H
- Halofenozide
- Haloxyfop
- Heptachlor
- Heptachlor epoxide endo
- Heptenophos
- Hexachlorobenzene
- Hexaconazole
- Hexaflumuron
- Hexazinone
- Hexythiazox
- Hydramethylnon
I
- Imazalil
- Imazamethabenz-methyl
- Imidacloprid
- Indoxacarb
- Iodofenphos
- Ipconazole
- Iprobenfos
- Iprodione
- Iprovalicarb
- Isazophos
- Isocarbamide
- Isofenphos
- Isoprocarb
- Isopropalin
- Isoprothiolane
- Isoproturon
- Isoxathion
K
- Kresoxim-methyl
L
- Leptophos
- Lindane (gamma-BHC)
- Linuron
- Lufenuron
M
- Malaoxon
- Malathion
- Mandipropamid
- Mecarbam
- Mefenacet
- Mepanipyrim
- Mephosfolan
- Mepronil
- Metaflumizone
- Metalaxyl
- Metazachlor
- Metconazole
- Methabenzthiazuron
- Methamidophos
- Methidathion
- Methiocarb
- Methiocarb sulfone
- Methiocarb Sulfoxide
- Methomyl
- Methoprotryne
- Methoxychlor
- Methoxyfenozide
- Methyl-trithion
- Metobromuron
- Metolachlor
- Metolcarb
- Metoxuron
- Metribuzin
- Mevinphos-cis
- Mexacarbate
- Mirex
- Molinate
- Monocrotophos
- Monolinuron
- Myclobutanil
N
- Naled
- Napropamide
- Naptalam
- Neburon
- Nitenpyram
- Nitralin
- Nitrapyrin
- Nitrofen
- Nitrothal-isopropyl
- Norflurazon
- Novaluron
- Nuarimol
O
- o,p'-DDD (o,p'-TDE)
- o,p'-DDE
- o,p'-DDT
- Octhilinone
- Ofurace
- Omethoate
- Ortho-phenylphenol
- Oxadiazon
- Oxadixyl
- Oxamyl
- Oxamyl-oxime
- Oxycarboxin
- Oxychlordane
- Oxyfluorfen
P
- p,p'-DDD (p,p'-TDE)
- p,p'-DDE
- p,p'-DDT
- Paclobutrazol
- Paraoxon
- Paraquat
- Parathion
- Parathion-methyl
- Pebulate
- Penconazole
- Pencycuron
- Pendimethalin
- Penoxsulam
- Permethrin (Total)
- Phenmedipham
- Phenthoate
- Phorate
- Phorate sulfone
- Phosalone
- Phosmet
- Phosphamidon
- Picolinafen
- Picoxystrobin
- Piperonyl butoxide
- Piperophos
- Pirimicarb
- Pirimiphos-ethyl
- Pirimiphos-methyl
- Pretilachlor
- Primisulfuron-methyl
- Prochloraz
- Procymidone
- Prodiamine
- Profenofos
- Profluralin
- Promecarb
- Prometon
- Prometryne
- Pronamide
- Propachlor
- Propamocarb
- Propanil
- Propargite
- Propazine
- Propetamphos
- Propham
- Propiconazole
- Propoxur
- Prothioconazole
- Prothiophos
- Pymetrozine
- Pyracarbolid
- Pyraclostrobin
- Pyraflufen-ethyl
- Pyrazophos
- Pyridaben
- Pyridalyl
- Pyridaphenthion
- Pyridate
- Pyrifenox
- Pyrimethanil
- Pyriproxyfen
- Pyroxsulam
Q
- Quinalphos
- Quinomethionate
- Quinoxyfen
- Quintozene
- Quizalofop
- Quizalofop-ethyl
S
- Schradan
- Secbumeton
- Siduron
- Simazine
- Simetryn
- Spinetoram
- Spinosyn A
- Spinosyn D
- Spirodiclofen
- Spiromesifen
- Spirotetramat
- Spiroxamine
- Sulfallate
- Sulfentrazone
- Sulfotep
- Sulprophos
T
- TCMTB
- Tebuconazole
- Tebufenozide
- Tebufenpyrad
- Tebupirimfos
- Tebuthiuron
- Tecnazene
- Teflubenzuron
- Temephos
- Tepraloxydim
- Terbacil
- Terbufos
- Terbumeton
- Terbutryne
- Terbutylazine
- Tetrachlorvinphos
- Tetraconazole
- Tetradifon
- Tetraiodoethylene
- Tetramethrin
- Tetrasul
- Thiabendazole
- Thiacloprid
- Thiamethoxam
- Thiazopyr
- Thidiazuron
- Thiobencarb
- Thiodicarb
- Thiofanox
- Thiofanox sulfone
- Thiofanox sulfoxide
- Thiophanate-methyl
- Tolclofos-methyl
- Tolfenpyrad
- Tolyfluanid
- Tralkoxydim
- Triadimefon
- Triadimenol
- Tri-allate
- Triazophos
- Tribufos
- Trichlorfon
- Tricyclazole
- Trietazine
- Trifloxystrobin
- Trifloxysulfuron
- Triflumizole
- Triflumuron
- Trifluralin
- Triforine
- Trimethacarb
- Triticonazole
V
- Vamidothion
- Vernolate
- Vinclozolin
Z
- Zinophos
- Zoxamide