Revisit China's food safety standards for pesticides and veterinary drugs in food: Bridging regulatory deficiency with consumer dietary reality

The pervasive use of pesticides and veterinary drugs in China’s intensive agricultural systems has raised serious food safety concerns regarding excessive residues in consumer diets. This study identifies potential deficiencies in Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) standards by proposing a deficiency identification framework that compares theoretical intake with actual consumption. Combining macro-level national nutrition survey (600 million residents) with micro-level self-conducted consumer survey (400 samples), we perform a comparative analysis across food categories (grain, vegetable, fruit, and meat) and consumer demographics (gender, age, and region). Our findings reveal 268–357 problematic MRLs across consumer groups, with pesticide standards exhibiting greater deficiencies than veterinary drug standards. Among food categories, vegetables show the highest prevalence of standard-setting deficiencies, particularly for insecticides and fungicides, while grains and meat present elevated dietary exposure risks due to concentrated consumption patterns. Demographic analysis identifies younger men and elderly women as vulnerable subgroups. These findings highlight the urgent need for evidence-based standard revisions and targeted regulatory interventions. Such pathways contribute to mitigating agrochemical residue risks and enhancing food safety regulation. • Deficiency identification framework integrates residue standards with actual diets. • National survey data reveals 268–357 problematic MRLs in current standards. • Vegetables exhibit the standard-setting deficiencies with more problematic MRLs. • Grains and meat present dietary risks from concentrated consumption patterns. • High-intake youngers and elderly women on plant diets are identified as vulnerable.