Pesticide Residue Measurements in U.S. Food Supply (1985-1988)

Anticipated Residues in Food (OPPE Pesticide Food Residue) is a database containing measurements for 286 pesticides across an estimated 49,857 food samples. The data was compiled by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from voluntary submissions by government agencies and food processing companies. Sample collection occurred between 1985 and 1988.

Use Cases

• Analyze trends in residue levels for specific pesticides (e.g., DDT, malathion) across different food types over the 1985-1988 period.
• Train models to predict residue concentration based on features like pesticide class, food commodity, and sample year.
• Compare residue detection frequencies between raw agricultural commodities and processed food products.
• Assess compliance with historical tolerance levels by comparing measured residue values against regulatory thresholds.
• Identify correlations between specific pesticide applications and their persistence in the food supply using the sample collection dates.

Strengths

• Covers an estimated 49,857 food samples, providing a substantial basis for analysis.
• Includes data for 286 distinct pesticides, allowing for broad chemical profiling.
• Provides a defined temporal coverage from 1985 to 1988 for longitudinal study.

Limitations

• Data is over 35 years old, limiting its relevance for current food safety assessments.
• Sample collection relied on voluntary submissions, which may introduce geographic or commodity bias.
• Specific row counts, column structures, and data completeness metrics are unavailable for evaluation.

Provenance

Source

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), compiled from voluntary submissions by government agencies and food processing companies.

Collection Method

Data provided on a voluntary basis; original collection method unspecified.

Time Range

1985 to 1988

Freshness

null

Geography

Primarily United States (implied by involvement of U.S. EPA, FDA, and state agencies).