抄録
On May 29, 2006, Article 11.3 of the Food Sanitation Law was brought into effect, which resulted in the introduction of the positive list system. Other than certain substances not included in subject matters, all agricultural chemicals, veterinary drugs and feed additives (hereafter “agricultural chemicals, etc.”) that remain in foods are now controlled. A uniformity standard of 0.01 ppm has been set, with 65 indicated substances that are not subject to control. Both food and additive standards have been revised, but current residual standards are basically the same. However, 15 agricultural chemicals, etc. that had no detectable standards and interim standards for 743 new agricultural chemicals, etc. are now set.
It is very difficult, both in regards to labor and cost, to examine all agricultural chemicals, etc. that the standards are set up to cope with via the positive list system. Additionally, it’s not possible to strictly prove food safety only through examination results. Effective and meaningful examinations are required. The attitude towards which agricultural chemical objects were selected to measure pesticide residue in foods is to obtain the following information and make selections taking into consideration their effectiveness and meaning: (1) agricultural chemicals used for subject food, (2) agricultural chemicals used in the subjected area, (3) agricultural chemicals that are frequently detected in subjected foods, (4) agricultural chemicals that are frequently overused in subjected food, (5) agricultural chemicals that are frequently detected in various foods, (6) agricultural chemicals that frequently infringe on various foods, (7) agricultural chemicals with high residue rates, (8) agricultural chemicals with relatively high toxicity (small ADI value and LD50 value), and (9) agricultural chemicals that can be analyzed together.
Tokyo’s pesticide residue monitoring plan, which is subject to commercially available agricultural products, is designed to be conducted on the same scale in fiscal year 2006 as it was last fiscal year, while testing terms are reviewed. Regarding the review, due to the difficulty of obtaining above information (1) and (2), it is useful when based on the concept of numbers (3) to (6) above.
When testing commercially available foods, it is necessary to acquire proper samples that represent subjected food lots and the sampling region as defined in the notification. So far, examination methods, including mass examinations and individual examinations, are used for notification. Tests for agricultural chemicals that contain non-detectable standards must follow the notified examination method. Regarding others, acknowledged examination methods, revised methods or newly developed methods are used, but when using an examination method other than the acknowledged ones, it must show similar or better performance and specificity in trueness, accuracy and determination limit.
