Food Safety Focus (210th Issue, January 2024) – Article 3

Methoxychlor in Food

Methoxychlor (MXC) is an organochlorine pesticide and is currently prohibited for use in agriculture in many countries. MXC persists in the environment and has a strong potential for long-range environmental transportation. The Centre for Food Safety has conducted a risk assessment study to estimate the dietary exposure to MXC of the local adult population and assess the associated health risk.

The study results showed that the dietary exposures of local adult population were much lower than the acceptable daily intake established by the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization Meeting on Pesticide residues (i.e. 100 µg/kg bw per day). Hence, the health concern for the local adult population due to their MXC exposure upon usual consumption of food was low and changes to the basic dietary advice on healthy eating were not justified.

To remove pesticide residues in agricultural products while retaining their nutritional values, the public can wash them thoroughly under clean running water, scrub produce with hard surfaces with a clean produce brush to remove dirt and substances including pesticides and contaminants.