Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 (FQPA) Louis Olvera Period 2 APES

Purpose/Info In 1996, Congress unanimously passed landmark pesticide food safety legislation supported by the Administration and a broad coalition of environmental, public health, agricultural and industry groups. President Clinton promptly signed the bill on August 3, 1996, and the Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 became law. Tolerance towards pesticides: EPA regulates pesticides under two major federal statutes: Under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), EPA registers pesticides for use in the United States and prescribes labeling and other regulatory requirements to prevent unreasonable adverse effects on human health or the environment. Under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA), EPA establishes tolerances (maximum legally permissible levels) for pesticide residues in food.

Environmental Impacts Loss of certain pesticide classes: The most serious potential impact is the loss of entire classes of compounds. The four most likely classes are - 1. triazine herbicides due to concerns about groundwater contamination and endocrine disruption, 2. organophosphates and/or 3. carbamates due to toxicity concerns, and 4. EBDC fungicides, which are targeted as B2 carcinogens.