Abstract: While the benefits of crop protection in food production are clear, there is ongoing dialogue over whether any residues that may remain on food pose a threat to human health. Residues need not be a cause for health concern because before any crop protection product can be registered for use, it must pass through a rigorous regulatory process that includes a scientific risk assessment. Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) are defined as the maximum concentration of pesticide residue (expressed as milligrams of residue per kilogram of commodity) likely to occur in or on food after the use of pesticides according to Good Agricultural Practice (GAP). MRLs are intended primarily as a check that the GAP is being followed and to assist international trade representatives in importing and exporting produce treated with pesticides. MRLs are set based on GAP and not based on toxicological data. MRLs are not safety limits, and exposure to residues in excess of a MRL does not automatically imply a hazard to health. MRLs are established by national authorities and by the Codex Alimentarius Commission of United Nations, which sets standards that are intended to apply to international trade.