Hi. 

As an agricultural seed company, we not only sell seeds but also try
to provide some basic technical assistance to our end-users, the
farmers. Such assistance may be directly seed related but occasionally
covers vaster topics. We are located in Mexico.

In this context, we were addressed by a local milk plant who is
concerned with the quality assurance of the milk they buy from about
2000 small-scale dairy farmers. They have already an extension service
in place for their milk providers, and some 10 professionals advise on
a wide range of topics, including cattle disease prevention,
veterinarian medicine, dairy production systems, and the like. We have
occasionally provided technical training to their extensionists on
topics like forage production.

On this occasion, their interest is in reducing the risk of pesticide
contamination of the milk they buy. We would be happy to assist them
with some basic input. At this stage, we just need to get on the right
track.

That's where my multi-part question comes in: 
1) What are the main risks regarding pesticide contamination of dairy
milk in developing countries?
    1a) What pesticides (active ingredients) have been found in
developing country dairy milk, especially milk produced in Mexico, or
Latin America?
    1b) How likely are different chemical groups of active ingredients
to pass (and persist)from application to the milk?
    1c) Could the answer to 1b possibly be crossed with information
about pesticide use in cattle and dairy production in Mexico? (There
is no use of knowing that organochlorine compounds are more likely to
accumulate if they aren't used anymore.)
    1d) Have some management methods been identified as particularly
risky or safe? (Case studies).
2) In dairy farming, pesticides are used for both agriculture (forage
production) and livestock (tick and fly control, for example). Both
uses may be hypothesized to be sources of pesticide contamination risk
of the milk produced. What could be expected to be their relative
importance in tropical milk production? (In other words, given our
goal of prevention and limited resources, should we have a closer look
first at livestock or agricultural applications of pesticides?)
3) Are there any related practical guidelines already on the web?

With all questions, the more Mexico-specific an answer, the better. 

Additional information and previous research: 
- I have found that one of the main hazard of pesticide application is
the exposure of the operator or pesticide applicator and his family.
This may be true, but is not our main concern at this stage.
- I have found that DDT and other organochlorine compounds are
relatively likely to pass through the cattle to the milk or even
accumulate. What about other chemical groups (see question 1b).
- I have found that dairy milk is very much pesticide free in the U.S.
on http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/pes03rep.html#appendix_a I also found
a couple of reports about organochlorine contaminated cow and buffalo
milk in India. But I haven't found anything with regard to Mexico or
Latin America yet.

Kindest regards

---

Clarification of Question by weischduda-ga on 30 Sep 2005 08:49 PDT

Thanks for your comments, Dr. Chunga

Five of the articles you mention (15, 16, 29, 32, and 33) are on
pesticide residues in dairy products in Mexico indeed. I readily found
their abstracts on the web. They all are by about the same authors or
research group and most deal with organochlorine residues in milk
produced in more or less the same Mexican region. Still, they partly
answer question 1 (organochlorines were found and sanitary use of
organochlorines are suspected to be at the origin of much or most of
those residues).

The remainder of the questions (2 and 3) remain fully open and some
further data on question 1 also seems prudent to obtain prior to
setting priorities for a prevention or quality assurance campaign.

I realize you do this for free and are not an official google
researcher, so thanks anyway!

Regards
Beda

---

Clarification of Question by weischduda-ga on 30 Sep 2005 08:55 PDT

Thanks for your comments, Dr. Chunga

Five of the articles you mention (15, 16, 29, 32, and 33) are on
pesticide residues in dairy products in Mexico indeed. I readily found
their abstracts on the web. They all are by about the same authors or
research group and most deal with organochlorine residues in milk
produced in more or less the same Mexican region. Still, they partly
answer question 1 (organochlorines were found and sanitary use of
organochlorines are suspected to be at the origin of much or most of
those residues).

The remainder of the questions (2 and 3) remain fully open and some
further data on question 1 also seems prudent to obtain prior to
setting priorities for a prevention or quality assurance campaign.

I realize you do this for free and are not an official google
researcher, so thanks anyway!

Regards

Hi weischduda,

I have been working on your question for a few days now and hope my
research will get you off to a good start. Dairy farmers the world
over must follow the same basic farming practices to produce safe milk
of high quality and since the inception of NAFTA, Mexico, Canada, and
the United States must follow the same guidelines and regulations if
they want to import/export diary products between the three countries.
I've copied and pasted relevant sections on various websites but
please click on the links for more information and links to follow.

1) What are the main risks regarding pesticide contamination of dairy
milk in developing countries?

The first line of defence against contamination of food by pesticides
is to use only products registered for use on feeds or foods and to
carefully follow application instructions. In order to be registered,
pesticides for use on feeds or foods must be non-toxic or have an
established tolerance level (a quantity that is safe if a residue is
found on or in a food product). Regulatory agencies have a
responsibility to protect consumers from the toxic effects of
pesticide residues in or on food, but all users of pesticides also
have an obligation to handle all materials in an approved and
appropriate manner to avoid contamination.

Chlorinated Hydrocarbons: 
"Aldrin, Chlordane, DDT, dieldrin, heptachlor, and lindane are fat
soluble. Pesticide residues in this group consumed by dairy cows on
contaminated forages may: (1) be metabolised to non-toxic products;
(2) be excreted in the manure and urine; (3) be secreted in the milk;
or (4) be stored in body fat. Thus DDT may be present in the milk of
heifers which were fed contaminated feeds before freshening (calving)
and in milking cows as much as a year after the feeding of
contaminated forage was discontinued.
Organic Phosphates:
Malathion is only mildly toxic but parathion and TEPP in substantial
quantities are highly toxic whether they are absorbed through the
skin, inhaled, or ingested with the feed. However, small amounts of
organic phosphate residues ingested with feed are metabolized to
harmless products and are not secreted in the milk.
Since most dairymen are well informed about insecticides approved for
use in fly control, these are no longer an important source of
pesticide residues in milk. Dairy farmers have also learned to avoid
feeding apple pomace, sweet corn fodder, and similar sources of
pesticide residues. However, dairymen who purchase alfalfa hay usually
do not know whether it carries pesticide residues until they receive a
report from a milk sanitarian that a sample of their milk contained an
amount of pesticide above the tolerance level."
"Since none of the usual milk processing operations, such as
pasterurization, will destroy toxic pesticide residues or remove them
from the milk, producers must take all necessary precautions to
prevent pesticides from contaminating milk. Restrictions on the use
of" toxic products "will reduce the incidence of those products in
milk or other foods. Use of insecticides which are approved for dairy
cattle and milk rooms will reduce the risk to the milk supply from
this source. Insofar as possible, dairymen who purchase hay should try
to learn the source of the forage and be sure that it does not contain
pesticide residues above the established tolerance levels. They
should, of course, conduct their own forage production operations in
accordance with the latest recommendations relative to the use of
pesticides on crops intended for use in feeding dairy cows."
Dairy Cattle: Principles, Practices, Problems, Profits
by Richard C. Foley; Donald L. Bath; Frank N. Dickinson; H. Allen Tucker
Philadelphia: Lea & Febiger (1972). Page 536

Lindane
Why Is It Permitted in Mexico?
"In Mexico, the Health Secretary includes Lindane in its basic
description of medicines and authorizes the inclusion of Lindane in
lotions, shampoos, soaps and skin treatments related to lice and
scabies in children and adults (before it was also permitted for
scorpions) and for cattle and pig baths to eliminate ticks and other
parasites.  It is also authorised as an insecticide to control plagues
and to protect the seeds of six crops: oats, barley, beans, corn,
sorghum and wheat; and to be applied directly to the soil of corn and
sorghum crops (Canada permits its legal application on 17 crops and
the United States allows it on 19 crops).  The Official Pesticides
Catalogue of Mexico lists as a contraindication that Lindane should
not be applied directly into river, lake or reservoir waters that it
should not be used on animals under three months of age, though the
Health Secretary applies it to children of three to four months of age
in indigenous communities.  It is also supposedly not to be used on
poultry farms, felines, dairy farms, and stables or at milking places.
 Nonetheless, there is no mechanism to verify that this criterion is
met.  In Mexico, Lindane has been found in coastal lakes, soil, the
tissues of fish and other aquatic organisms, cow?s milk and butter. 
But it?s not just the foods produced in Mexico using Lindane that are
contaminated but also in that which is imported.  The food that has
the highest levels of Lindane is produced in Europe for consumption in
cereals, red meat and tomatoes."
"Two years ago some of the pesticides that are banned in other
countries but permitted in Mexico were announced:  Alahor,
Aldicarb,Azinphos methyl, Captafol,  Carbarilo, Captan, Chlordane,
DDT, Dicofol, Diurno, Endosulfan, Forato, Fosfamidon, Kadetrina,
Linuron, Maneb, Metidation, Metamidofos, Metoxicloro, Mevinphos,
Monocrotophos, Omethoate, Oxyfluorfen, Paraquat, Parathion methyl,
Pentachlorophenol, Quintoceno, Sulprofos,Ttriazophos, Tridemorf,
Vamidothion, 2-4-D."
http://www.ciepac.org/bulletins/ingles/ing426.htm 

Phoxim PESTICIDE RESIDUES IN FOOD - 1984
http://www.inchem.org/documents/jmpr/jmpmono/v84pr38.htm

List of Restricted Pesticides in Mexico.
http://www.ine.gob.mx/dgicurg/sqre/ingles/pesticides/restricted_pesticides.html

Organochlorine pesticide residues in cow's milk from a tropical region of Mexico.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12623651&dopt=Abstract

Contaminants and toxins in animal feeds
ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS
A wide range of organic and inorganic compounds may occur in
feedstuffs, including pesticides, industrial pollutants, radionuclides
and heavy metals. Pesticides that may contaminate feeds originate from
most of the major groups, including organochlorine, organophosphate
and pyrethroid compounds (van Barneveld, 1999).
http://www.fao.org/DOCREP/ARTICLE/AGRIPPA/X9500E04.HTM

Types of Pesticides
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/about/types.htm

List of Pesticides Authorized in Mexico, 1998
http://www.ine.gob.mx/dgicurg/sqre/ingles/pesticides/authorized_pesticides.html 

FDA/CFSAN Pesticide Program Residue Monitoring
Analysis of IMPORT Samples by Commodity Group in 2003
B. Milk/Dairy Products/Eggs: 100% of the samples tested no pesticide residue
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/pes03rep.html#fig2

Note: for previous reports, change the date in the url, for example:
2002: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/pes02rep.html
2001: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/pes01rep.html

IMOT2003.EXE
2003 detailed data by country/food product/pesticide combination, all
other imported food products*
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~download/pes03db.html

Pesticides and Food:
What the Pesticide Residue Limits are on Food
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/food/viewtols.htm

2) ... should we have a closer look first at livestock or agricultural
applications of pesticides?

Simply using "insecticides which are approved for dairy cattle and
milk rooms will reduce the risk to the milk supply from this source"
[citation above], therefore, I would suggest to first confirm that the
livestock insecticides being used are safe and then second, look at
the agricultural applications.

3) Are there any related practical guidelines already on the web?

Radcliffe's IPM World Textbook
"Welcome to the University of Minnesota's  electronic textbook of
Integrated Pest Management featuring contributed chapters by
internationally recognized experts. This project is co-sponsored by
the  Consortium for International Crop Protection (CICP). We adhere to
the  publication standards of the  National IPM Network (NIPMN)."
http://ipmworld.umn.edu/textbook.htm

Recognition and Management of Pesticide Poisonings, 5th Edition
http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/safety/healthcare/handbook/contents.htm

Pest  Management
"Pest management sometimes seems especially challenging for farmers
dedicated to sustainable, low-input practices. If you?re looking to
meet the challenge, this series of publications can help. These
resources offer a wide array of techniques and controls to effectively
reduce or eliminate damage from insects, diseases and weeds without
sacrificing the good of the soil, water, or beneficial organisms.
Groups of publications available here address:
    * Disease Management
    * Insect Management
    * Weed Management
    * Other Pest Management Topics"
http://www.attra.org/pest.html

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Education in the Tropics:
Dissemination of Best Practices
http://www.pesp.org/2002/rainforest02-final.htm

PESP Publications
http://www.epa.gov/oppbppd1/PESP/publications.htm

International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements
Training Manual for Organic Agriculture in the Tropics
http://www.ifoam.org/organic_facts/farming/pages_FG/I-GOInformationResources/BasicTM_main.html

"Pesticides and nutrients used in agriculture often move from the
point of application to areas such as streams, rivers, and estuaries
where they can have an impact on environmental health such as that of
the Chesapeake Bay. Researchers in Beltsville, Maryland, have made
significant strides using cover crops--grown, mowed, and left to serve
as a medium for growing the main crop. Scientists are finding that
cover crops can eliminate the use of some pesticides without reducing
productivity and can protect water and air quality better than
conventional plastic mulches.
Running irrigation water through drainage pipes in the summer to stop
leaching of nitrates and pesticides."
http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/programs/programs.htm?np_code=201&docid=236&pf=1&cg_id=28

I?m a dairy farmer. What can I use for fly control in the barn and in
the milk house?
"In order to be certified organic, you must implement preventative
practices and proactive management to control flies and other pests,
both in the barn and in the milk house. Approved strategies include:
1) augmentation or introduction of predators or parasites of the pest
species; 2) development of habitat for natural enemies of pests; and
3) non-synthetic controls such as lures, traps, and repellents. Good
manure management; pasture rotation; clean, dry bedding; moisture
control; and release of fly parasites are all part of successful fly
management systems. In addition, many dairy farmers use walk-through
fly traps to remove flies from cows when they enter the barn or
milking parlor. Many also use sticky strips or tapes, and some use bug
zappers and jar traps baited with attractants. If an insecticide is to
be used in the barn or milk house, the material must either be derived
from natural sources or be on the National List of Allowed and
Prohibited Substances. If you have questions about any methods or
inputs, be sure and ask your certifier before use."
http://www.newfarm.org/certification/certification_archives.shtml

ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/biodynamic.html

What is Sustainable Agriculture?
http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/concept.htm

A national association representing the organic industry in Canada,
the U.S., and Mexico.
http://www.ota.com/index.html

Organic Dairy links (about half way down page)
http://www.cfap.org/afs_temp3.cfm?topicID=415

As I mentioned, I hope this gets you off to a good start but if you
have any questions or if you find my research unsuitable, please post
a clarification request and wait for me to respond before
closing/rating my answer. Although I'm not an agronomist, we did own
and operate a small organic dairy farm (registered Jerseys) for
eighteen years, so I do understand the problem you have presented.
Personally, I would suggest looking into organic farming practices,
not with an eye to eventual certification, but to pick and choose
various safe methods of production  (e.g. cover crops and crop and
pasture rotation) which suit the situation in your area and will serve
to reduce the amount of pesticides needed for pest control. A basic
simple idea for you would be to suggest that the farmers keep a diary
of everything they use, either in the barn or out on the fields.  Make
sure they include at least dates of application, expiry dates, brands,
amounts and methods.  After a few years of studying these diaries, you
will have a better idea of what it is you are dealing with.

Thank you,
hummer

I searched the EPA, FDA/CFSAN, CIEPAC, ATTRA, INE, PESP websites in
addition to Google using such terms as pesticides residues, dairy
farming, milk, contamination, mexico, chlorinated hydrocarbons, etc.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
http://www.epa.gov/

Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (FDA/CFSAN)
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/list.html

Centro de Investigaciones Economicas y Politicas de Accion Comunitaria (CIEPAC)
http://www.ciepac.org/

National Sustainable Agriculture Information ServicE (ATTRA)
http://www.attra.org/

Instituto Nacional de Ecologia (INE)
http://www.ine.gob.mx/dgicurg/sqre/ingles/pesticides/authorized_pesticides.html

Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP)
http://www.pesp.org/2002/rainforest02-final.htm

This is very helpful, thank you hummer.

Hi weischduda-ga,

Your question is extremely easy to answer since in the academic world
there have been numerous researches about the quality of the milk in
Mexico as well as generally in the developing countries.But you need
to access certain fee-based databases for these research findings.I
can use all these databases and have browsered the relevant articles
but it's not proper for me to give you the answer because I am not a
google researcher.If I do this for you for free,I think other google
researchers will curse me.


Anyway,what I can do is give your some very important hints which
almost amount to an answer.I searched one of the databases I
like,http://www.isiknowledge.com/, and here are the first 50 of the
academic articles returned which have the keywords "milk" and "Mexico"
in the titles:


1.Peralta-Lailson M, Trejo-Gonzalez AA, Pedraza-Villagomez P, et al.
Factors affecting milk yield and lactation curve fitting in the creole
sheep of Chiapas-Mexico
SMALL RUMINANT RESEARCH 58 (3): 265-273 JUN 2005 
Times Cited: 0 
       
 2.  Rivera JA, Shamah T, Villalpando S, et al.
Effectiveness of an iron-fortified milk distribution program in the
rates of anemia of infants and young children in Mexico
FASEB JOURNAL 19 (5): A1487-A1487 Part 2 Suppl. S MAR 7 2005 
Times Cited: 0 
    
 3.  Villalpando S, Shamah T, Robledo R, et al.
Efficacy of iron-fortified milk in the rates of anemia and iron status
of infants and young children in Mexico
FASEB JOURNAL 19 (5): A1487-A1487 Part 2 Suppl. S MAR 7 2005 
Times Cited: 0 
    
 4.  Valencia M, Dobler J, Montaldo HH
Genetic trends for milk yield in a flock of Saanen goats in Mexico 
SMALL RUMINANT RESEARCH 57 (2-3): 281-285 MAR 2005 
Times Cited: 0 
       
 5.  Perez-Exposito AB, Villalpando S, Rivera JA, et al.
Ferrous sulfate is more bioavailable among preschoolers than other
forms of iron in a milk-based weaning food distributed by PROGRESA, a
national program in Mexico
JOURNAL OF NUTRITION 135 (1): 64-69 JAN 2005 
Times Cited: 0 
    
 6.  Posadas MV, Lopez FDR, Montaldo HH
Genetic and environmental variance components for milk yield across
regions, time periods and herd levels for Holstein cattle in Mexico
REVISTA CIENTIFICA-FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS VETERINARIAS 14 (5): 404-411 SEP-OCT 2004 
Times Cited: 0 
    
 7.  Sacco LM, Caulfield LE, Martinez H
Infant crying behavior, perceived insufficient milk and infant feeding
practices in Mexico
FASEB JOURNAL 18 (4): A489-A490 Suppl. S MAR 23 2004 
Times Cited: 0 
    
 8.  Osorio MM, Segura JC
Environmental and breed effects on test day milk yields of
dual-purpose crossbred cows under tropical conditions of Mexico
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ANIMAL RESEARCH 25 (2): 125-128 JUN 2004 
Times Cited: 0 
    
 9.  Valencia M, Ruiz FJ, Montaldo HH
Estimation of genetic parameters for longevity and milk production in
Holstein cattle in Mexico
INTERCIENCIA 29 (1): 52-56 JAN 2004 
Times Cited: 0 
    
 10.  Carvajal M, Rojo F, Mendez I, et al.
Aflatoxin B-1 and its interconverting metabolite aflatoxicol in milk:
the situation in Mexico
FOOD ADDITIVES AND CONTAMINANTS 20 (11): 1077-1086 NOV 2003 
Times Cited: 1 
    
 11.  Carvajal M, Bolanos A, Rojo F, et al.
Aflatoxin M-1, in pasteurized and ultrapasteurized milk with different
fat content in Mexico
JOURNAL OF FOOD PROTECTION 66 (10): 1885-1892 OCT 2003 
Times Cited: 2 
    
 12.  Villalpando S, Latulippe ME, Rosas G, et al.
Milk folate but not milk iron concentrations may be inadequate for
some infants in a rural farming community in San Mateo, Capulhuac,
Mexico
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION 78 (4): 782-789 OCT 2003 
Times Cited: 2 
       
 13.  Lara-Covarrubias D, Mora-Flores JS, Martinez-Damian MA, et al.
Competitiveness and comparative advantages of milk production systems
in Jalisco State, Mexico
AGROCIENCIA 37 (1): 85-94 JAN-FEB 2003 
Times Cited: 0 
    
 14.  Lonnerdal B
Breast milk and breastfed infants: Implications for improving infant
formula - Proceedings of the symposium Innovaciones en Formulas
Infantiles (Innovations in Infant Formula) held in Cancun, Mexico, May
23-24, 2002 - Preface
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION 77 (6): 1535S-1536S JUN 2003 
Times Cited: 0 
       
 15.  Pardio VT, Waliszewski KN, Landin LA, et al.
Organochlorine pesticide residues in cow's milk from a tropical region of Mexico 
FOOD ADDITIVES AND CONTAMINANTS 20 (3): 259-269 2003 
Times Cited: 0 
    
 16.  Waliszewski SM, Villalobos-Pietrini R, Gomez-Arroyo S, et al.
Persistent organochlorine pesticide levels in cow's milk samples from
tropical regions of Mexico
FOOD ADDITIVES AND CONTAMINANTS 20 (3): 270-275 2003 
Times Cited: 1 
    
 17.  Ettinger AS, Tellez-Rojo MM, Hernandez-Avila M, et al.
Determinants of lead in breast milk at one-month postpartum among
lactating women in Mexico City
EPIDEMIOLOGY 12 (4): 215 JUL 2001 
Times Cited: 0 
    
 18.  Carlos VS, Oscar RS, Irma QRE
Occurrence of Listeria species in raw milk in farms on the outskirts
of Mexico city
FOOD MICROBIOLOGY 18 (2): 177-181 APR 2001 
Times Cited: 0 
       
 19.  Waliszewski SM, Aguirre AA, Infanzon RM, et al.
Organochlorine pesticide levels in maternal adipose tissue, maternal
blood serum, umbilical blood serum, and milk from inhabitants of
Veracruz, Mexico
ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 40 (3): 432-438 APR 2001 
Times Cited: 23 
    
 20.  Losada H, Bennett R, Cortes J, et al.
The historical development of the Mexico City milk supply system:
local and global contradictions
HABITAT INTERNATIONAL 24 (4): 485-500 DEC 2000 
Times Cited: 0 
       
 21.  Waliszewski SM, Aguirre AA, Infanzon RM
Comparison of organochlorine pesticide residue levels in colostrum and
mature milk from mothers living in Veracruz, Mexico.
FRESENIUS ENVIRONMENTAL BULLETIN 8 (11-12): 678-684 NOV-DEC 1999 
Times Cited: 0 
    
 22.  Lagunes FIJ, Fox DG, Blake RW, et al.
Evaluation of tropical grasses for milk production by dual-purpose
cows in tropical Mexico
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE 82 (10): 2136-2145 OCT 1999 
Times Cited: 4 
       
 23.  Cienfuegos-Rivas EG, Oltenacu PA, Blake RW, et al.
Interaction between milk yield of Holstein cows in Mexico and the United States 
JOURNAL OF DAIRY SCIENCE 82 (10): 2218-2223 OCT 1999 
Times Cited: 15 
       
 24.  Ochoa EC
Reappraising state intervention and social policy in Mexico: The case
of milk in the Distrito Federal during the Twentieth-century
MEXICAN STUDIES-ESTUDIOS MEXICANOS 15 (1): 73-99 WIN 1999 
Times Cited: 1 
    
 25.  Rosas I, Belmont R, Armienta A, et al.
Arsenic concentrations in water, soil, milk and forage in Comarca Lagunera, Mexico 
WATER AIR AND SOIL POLLUTION 112 (1-2): 133-149 MAY 1999 
Times Cited: 8 
       
    26.  Waliszewski SM, Aguirre AA, Infanzon RM, et al.
Comparison of organochlorine pesticide levels in adipose tissue and
human milk of mothers living in Veracruz, Mexico
BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 62 (6): 685-690 JUN 1999 
Times Cited: 14 
    
 27.  Corro M, Rubio I, Castillo E, et al.
Effect of blood metabolites, body condition and pasture management on
milk yield and postpartum intervals in dual-purpose cattle farms in
the tropics of the State of Veracruz, Mexico
PREVENTIVE VETERINARY MEDICINE 38 (2-3): 101-117 JAN 27 1999 
Times Cited: 2 
       
 28.  Waliszewski SM, Aguirre AA, Infanzon RM, et al.
Levels of organochlorine pesticide residues in human milk from mothers
living in Veracruz, Mexico.
FRESENIUS ENVIRONMENTAL BULLETIN 7 (11-12): 709-716 NOV-DEC 1998 
Times Cited: 7 
    
 29.  Prado G, Diaz G, Leon SVY, et al.
Organochlorine pesticide residues in commercial pasteurised milk in Mexico City 
ARCHIVOS DE MEDICINA VETERINARIA 30 (1): 55-66 1998 
Times Cited: 0 
    
 30.  Pardio VT, Waliszewski SM, Aguirre AA, et al.
DDT and its metabolites in human milk collected in Veracruz City and
suburban areas (Mexico)
BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 60 (6): 852-857 JUN 1998 
Times Cited: 6 
    
 31.  Santana SE, Ramirez MC, Saucedo QS, et al.
A note on milk production in winter prairies of the Mexicali Valley, Mexico 
CUBAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE 32 (1): 25-27 MAR 1998 
Times Cited: 0 
    
 32.  Waliszewski SM, Pardio VT, Waliszewski KN, et al.
Time tendency of organochlorine pesticide residues in cow's milk from
agricultural region of Veracruz (Mexico)
FRESENIUS ENVIRONMENTAL BULLETIN 7 (3-4): 238-243 MAR-APR 1998 
Times Cited: 8 
    
 33.  Waliszewski SM, Pardio VT, Waliszewski KN, et al.
Organochlorine pesticide residues in cow's milk and butter in Mexico 
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 208 (1-2): 127-132 DEC 3 1997 
Times Cited: 12 
       
 34.  Villalpando S, Butte NF, Flores-Huerta S, et al.
Qualitative analysis of human milk produced by women consuming a
maize-predominant diet typical of rural Mexico
ANNALS OF NUTRITION AND METABOLISM 42 (1): 23-32 JAN-FEB 1998 
Times Cited: 14 
    
 35.  ArgaezRodriguez FDJ, Hird DW, deAnda JH, et al.
Papillomatous digital dermatitis on a commercial dairy farm in
Mexicali, Mexico: Incidence and effect on reproduction and milk
production
PREVENTIVE VETERINARY MEDICINE 32 (3-4): 275-286 OCT 1997 
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Good luck. 
dr_chung-ga

Hi,

hummer-ga should have at least also referred to this important
article:"Organophosphorus Pesticide Residues in Mexican Commercial
Pasteurized Milk" http://pubs.acs.org/cgi-bin/abstract.cgi/jafcau/2003/51/i15/abs/jf020942i.html

I can't put the full text here due to the copyright restriction.

    
dr_chung-ga

You're welcome, weischduda, I'm very glad to hear that you found my
research helpful. Good luck with your project!  Sincerely, hummer

Dr_chung, thank you as well for the information that you posted here,
it was very nice of you to take the time.

Sincerely,
hummer

Chunga, thanks for this additional important piece of information (the
abstract is available without suscription to the online-library).

By the way, the milk plant we are talking about has its own record of
residue analyses. Understandingly, they have been a little reserved on
that topic, which was one reason I needed external findings.

As to hummer's suggestion regarding pesticide records, they also
already have such a system in place. Even if such records are partial
as I suspect, they may give us a qualitative insight into what is
being used.

Just in case you two reserchers are interested, here is a summary and
what I intend to suggest to the plant:

OCs and OPs have both been found in Mexican milk products, partly
above tolerance levels. Literature suggests that ectoparasite control
and sanitary applications of pesticides might be the source of much of
this contamination, but still, contamination through feedstuffs
remains a potential source to be taken into account. With feedstuffs,
the approach to prevention will have to be different depending on
whether we talk about farm produced feed, such as forage, or bought
feed, such as grain mixtures, cotton seed, etc. Little has been found
on two additional sources of potential contamination, but still, I
suspect they must be taken into account as well. These are the water
cattle drinks and "accidential" contamination, i.e., contamination
through spills, reuse of pesticide containers, etc. This may sound a
bit off reality, but just imagine a farmer who uses his pickup truck
for transporting pesticides at times and transporting forage at
otheres and you'll probably agree that spills must also be taken into
account.

Thus we have five sources: 1) own feed, 2) bought feed, 3)
ectoparasite control, 4) water, 5) accidential contamination.

As to quality control, I see two categories: 

a) On farm: This applies to contamination of on-farm produced feed,
ectoparasite control, and accidential contamination, possibly also
water.

b) Off farm: This applies to bought feedstuff and possibly water. 

With both categories, a corrective and a preventive approach may be needed. 

1) Corrective approach: Crossing literature and internal information
about actual pesticide contamination of milk products with pesticide
use certain pesticides and pesticide uses (problem areas) may be
identified as particularly risky.

2) Preventive approach: Crossing infomation about labels and
tolerances with pesticide use records, less obvious risks may be
identified.

Applying the corrective and preventive approach to on-farm
contamination sources, it should be possible to establish priorities
and very practical guidelines, basically "don't use this and that, use
... instead". Wider education and awareness may also be needed,
especially to overcome resistance to change and to address the
accidential contamination potential.

As to off-farm contamination, I guess there is no way around a
relatively expensive survey of pesticide residues in bought feedstuffs
and water, prior to taking any action.

What do you think?

weischduda

Hi weischduda,

Thank you for the update! I think your proposal is excellent and I
hope they heed your advice (the image of a barrel of pesticide in the
back of a pickup being driven at high speeds along a bumpy dirt road
makes me shutter). The only point lacking that I would add is to try a
more "green" approach.

Under "Preventative", a "don't use this and that, use ... instead"
approach is fine but I would really like to see an emphasis on methods
which would lead to a reduction in the use and reliance on toxic
pesticides. A bonus for the farmers would be a real savings in dollars
spent on chemicals. It is not difficult. Just buying commercial size
fly paper and hanging them in strategic areas of the barn, will help
to reduce the fly population in the stable (that, combined with
careful manure management, will really make a big difference). Another
example would be introducing the use of Rotenone as a good alternative
to more toxic insecticides and not only can it be used directly on
cattle, but also on crops as well.

Best regards,
hummer

Thanks hummer

I agree to that, mainly because I observe that many farmers have an
underswelling antipathy to pesticides (and, of course, a sympathy
towards everything that saves some pesos), they just don't know how to
avoid them or use less or use differently. So maybe we can dig into
this latent potential for motivation. On the other hand, it must be
really practical (and not ideological or too theoretical), so the
examples you mention are fine, but we shall be aware of "greens" not
to "contaminate" the approach with things that don't work or work only
after years of training.

Regards