Pesticides in food: assessing the risk to children

Pesticides are widely-used chemical preparations: they protect agricultural crops against disease and infestation, they remove weeds from pavements, and they combat vermin in and around homes. These products may also be harmful to other organisms, including humans. That is why they are only allowed onto the market after extensive safety assessment. In the Netherlands, the Board for the Authorisation of Pesticides (CTB) is responsible for making that assessment. This agency assesses issues such as whether sprayed agricultural produce is safe for consumers.