# Exploring the Potential of Microextraction in the Survey of Food Fruits and Vegetable Safety
## 1 Introduction
### The Current Food Safety Regulatory Framework  
Europe is the largest consumer of pesticides, followed by China and the USA [52]. Uncontrolled pesticide application leaves residues in the environment, which may persist and lead to pollution and adverse human health effects [53; 52]. Furthermore, given the nature of the contamination, such as varying exposure to pesticides, differences in plant uptake mechanisms from the environment, or contaminants from food packaging, some food products may be more contaminated than others [53]. Monitoring programs worldwide aim to assess food safety. However, it is important to note that such monitoring cannot completely prevent the supply of contaminated food to consumers, since pesticides are tested on their active ingredients and may additionally contain highly toxic and carcinogenic substances declared as inert in the formulation [52; 53]. Food regulations are in place at both national and international levels to restrict contaminated food from entering the human food chain. The Joint Food and Agriculture Organization (JECFA) and the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), both play an important role in ensuring fair practices in the food trade to protect the consumers' health [11]. National authorities and regulatory bodies control and enforce MRLs by regularly checking pesticide residues in food [52; 54]. In Europe, the European Commission (EC) is responsible for the approval of pesticide-active substances in the EU. Since 2006, the EC has implemented new legislation, the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH), EC regulation 1907/2006, to identify properties of chemicals, protecting both the environment and human health [53]. The EC regulation 396/2005 provides a coherent system of setting MRLs for all food treated with pesticides [55]. Moreover, in the EU document SANCO12571/2013, the EC states the methods of sampling for pesticide residues [52; 56; 57]. The EFSA is also responsible for legislating and regulating food additives in the EU by working with regulatory bodies worldwide to refine methodologies and provide risk assessors to determine possible combined effects derived from multiple pesticide exposure through food [58]. In the USA, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) oversees a registration process for pesticides to comply with federal laws, which enforce regulations and establish MRLs in food and feed. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) enforces MRLs for plant commodities, while the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) ensures the safety of people working with pesticides [59]. In Canada, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) is responsible for regulating pest control products, while in Russia federal law No. 107 FL regulates pesticide application [52; 55]. In Australia, pesticides regulation is shared by the Commonwealth, state, and territories through the national registration scheme of the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) and Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), which establish pesticide MRLs in food [52; 60]. In China, the Institute for Control of Agrochemicals regulates pesticides, and most MRLs do not defer to Codex [61; 62]. In India, pesticides are regulated under the Central Insecticides Board and Registration Committee (CIB&RC), while the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) sets the MRLs of registered pesticides [63]. However, some countries in Southeast Asia do not have pesticide legislation and regulations. The same situation occurs in some African countries, which do not have a pesticide registry system, leading to a high frequency of toxic illegal pesticides [64]. Nonetheless, most African countries have adopted pesticide MRLs from the Codex limits or that of the importing country, or have even developed their pesticide laws and regulatory authorities [52; 55]. Nevertheless, policymakers need to review and enforce pesticide regulations and product traceability policies to ensure farmers' commitment to safe food production [65].