Department admits it has ‘little information’ on pesticide residue in Australian food

Australia’s regulation of agricultural chemicals used in food production have come under the spotlight this year in an inquiry examining the UK-Australia free trade deal. Photograph: D-Keine/Getty Images

Federal authorities have admitted they have “little information” about the extent of pesticide residues in Australian food or their potential environmental damage, a document seen by the Guardian shows.

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry called for tenders in May this year for a study to identify the gaps in Australia’s data collection on pesticides.