DPR samples individual lots of domestic and imported produce and analyzes them for pesticide residues to enforce the tolerances set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Samples are collected from throughout the channels of trade, including wholesale and retail outlets, distribution centers, and farmers markets. DPR Enforcement Branch staff collect the samples and deliver them to a California Department of Food and Agriculture laboratory where all are tested with multiresidue screens capable of detecting more than 400 pesticides and breakdown products.
For more information on the California Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program, please see A Guide to Pesticide Regulation in California: 2017 Update.
