Processing factors of pesticide residues in biscuits and their relation to the physicochemical properties of pesticides

Development of a Portable Cell-Based Biosensor for the Ultra-Rapid Screening for Boscalid Residues in Lettuce

Fungal plant pathogens have posed a significant threat to crop production. However, the large-scale application of pesticides is associated with possible risks for human health and the environment. Boscalid is a widely used fungicide, consistently implemented for the management of significant plant pathogens. Conventionally, the detection and determination of boscalid residues is based on chromatographic separations. In the present study, a Bioelectric Recognition Assay (BERA)-based experimental approach combined with MIME technology was used, where changes in the electric properties of the membrane-engineering cells with anti-boscalid antibodies were recorded in response to the presence of boscalid at different concentrations based on the maximum residue level (MRL) for lettuce. The membrane-engineering Vero cells with 0.5 μg/mL of antibody in their surface were selected as the best cell line in combination with the lowest antibody concentration. Furthermore, the biosensor was tested against another fungicide in order to prove its selectivity. Finally, the BERA cell-based biosensor was able to detect the boscalid residue, below and above the MRL, in spiked lettuce leaf extracts in an entirely distinct and reproducible manner. This study indicates that the BERA-based biosensor, after further development and optimization, could be used for the routine, high-throughput detection of boscalid residue in lettuce, and not only that.

Residue behaviors of six pesticides during apple juice production and storage

The residue behaviors of carbendazim, thiamethoxam, imidacloprid, acetamiprid, prochloraz, and difenoconazole during the production and accelerated storage of apple clear and cloudy juice was systemically evaluated. The pesticides were determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) after each processing step and at different storage times. The results indicated that the different processing steps in the apple clear and cloudy juices production have different effects on the reduction of pesticide residues. The pre-processing steps including washing and pressing reduced the pesticide residues significantly by 36.8 % to 67.9 % and 32.9 % to 89.8 %, respectively, mainly due to the water solubility and log Kow of pesticides. The enzymation step in clear juice production slightly reduced six pesticide residues from 1.9 % to 31.6 %, and the filtration step after clarification and purification decreased the pesticide residues from 14.0 % to 87.5 % with no significance, while prochloraz was not detected. The centrifugation step in cloudy juice production reduced the pesticide residues from 6.3 % to 88.9 %. The pasteurization step in clear and cloudy juice production lowered the pesticide residues slightly on account of the short heating time of 30 s. The accelerated storage of clear and cloudy juices was effective in the reduction of pesticide residue levels. The processing factors (PFs) in the whole process of clear and cloudy juice production were equal to or lower than 0.2, especially for prochloraz and difenoconazole, illustrating that apple juice production could decrease the pesticide residues greatly. The results will provide important references to predict the levels of pesticide residues in apple juice during processing and storage. Meanwhile, the PFs identified in the study could be helpful in the risk assessment of pesticides in apple juice.

Residual Change of Four Pesticides in the Processing of Pogostemon cablin and Associated Factors

Before use as medicines, most traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) plants are processed and decocted. During processing, there may be some changes in pesticide residues in TCM. In recent years, reports have studied the changes of pesticides during the processes of boiling, drying and peeling of TCM materials but have rarely involved special processing methods for TCM, such as ethanol extraction and volatile oil extraction. The changes of carbendazim, carbofuran, pyridaben and tebuconazole residues in common processing methods for P. cablin products were systemically assessed in this study. After each processing step, the pesticides were quantitated by UPLC-MS/MS. The results showed amount decreases in various pesticides to different extents after each processing procedure. Processing factor (PF) values for the four pesticides after decoction, 75% ethanol extraction and volatile oil extraction were 0.02~0.75, 0.40~0.98 and 0~0.02, respectively, which indicated that residual pesticide concentrations may depend on the processing technique. A risk assessment according to the hazard quotient with PF values showed that residual pesticide amounts in P. cablin were substantially lower than levels potentially posing a health risk. Overall, these findings provide insights into the safety assessment of P. cablin.

Factors Affecting Incurred Pesticide Extraction in Cereals

This study investigated the effect of milling on the yields of incurred residues extracted from cereals. Rice, wheat, barley, and oat were soaked in nine pesticides (acetamiprid, azoxystrobin, imidacloprid, ferimzone, etofenprox, tebufenozide, clothianidin, hexaconazole, and indoxacarb), dried, milled, and passed through sieves of various sizes. The quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe method and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry extracted and quantified the incurred pesticides, respectively. For rice and oat, the yields were higher for vortexed samples than for soaked samples. For rice, the yields improved as the extraction time increased from 1 to 5 min. The optimized method was validated based on the selectivity, limit of quantitation, linearity, accuracy, precision, and the matrix effect. For rice and barley, the average yields improved as the particle size decreased from <10 mesh to >60 mesh. For 40-60-mesh wheat and oat, all pesticides (except tebufenozide in oat) had the highest yields. For cereals, 0.5 min vortexing, 5 min extraction, and >40-mesh particle size should be used to optimize incurred pesticide extraction.

Regulatory landscape of risk assessment of pesticide residues in processed foods in India: a perspective

In India, the levels of pesticide residues in Raw Agricultural Commodities (RAC) are being subjected to adequate legal regulations, and the health-risks associated with them are determined from time to time adhering to global standards. Since RACs are generally consumed by humans as the processed foods (PF), it is imperative to monitor the levels of pesticide residues in them in order to approach a realistic analysis of dietary exposure and concomitant health risk assessment. In India, production and consumption of PFs have a rising trend and hence it is indispensable to monitor the residue levels of pesticides in largely consumed PFs. Depending on the processing methods and physicochemical properties of pesticides, the residue levels may decrease or increase in a PF when compared to the corresponding RAC. While obtaining data on processing factors (Pf), it is pragmatic to focus on those situations in which the residues get concentrated following the processing step. Currently, regulatory agencies of several countries and the CODEX have determined the levels of pesticide residues in processed agriculture commodities, arrived at the Pfs, and fixed the maximum residue levels. Since consumption of PFs in India has tremendously increased in recent times and there is paucity of data about their health risks/benefits, it is imminent to deliberate on the complexities associated with the issues of adopting the Pfs generated by other regulatory agencies and subsequently examine the possibilities of generating the required data on Pfs on a priority basis to enable a comprehensive risk assessment.

Determination of Pesticide Residues in IV Range Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus L.) and Its Industrial Wastes

Fourth-range products are those types of fresh fruit and vegetables that are ready for raw consumption or after cooking, and belong to organic or integrated cultivations. These products are subject to mild post-harvesting processing procedures (selection, sorting, husking, cutting, and washing), and are afterwards packaged in packets or closed food plates, with an average shelf life of 5-10 days. Artichokes are stripped of the leaves, stems and outer bracts, and the remaining heads are washed with acidifying solutions. The A LC-MS/MS analytical method was developed and validated following SANTE guidelines for the detection of 220 pesticides. This work evaluated the distribution of pesticide residues among the fraction of artichokes obtained during the industrial processing, and the residues of their wastes left on the field were also investigated. The results showed quantifiable residues of one herbicide (pendimethalin) and four fungicides (azoxystrobin, propyzamide, tebuconazole, and pyraclostrobin). Pendimethalin was found in all samples, with the higher values in leaves 0.046 ± 8.2 mg/kg and in field waste 0.30 ± 6.7 mg/kg. Azoxystrobin was the most concentrated in the outer bracts (0.18 ± 2.9 mg/kg). The outer bracts showed the highest number of residues. The industrial waste showed a significant decrease in the number of residues and their concentration.

Biscuit Contaminants, Their Sources and Mitigation Strategies: A Review

The scientific literature is rich in investigations on the presence of various contaminants in biscuits, and of articles aimed at proposing innovative solutions for their control and prevention. However, the relevant information remains fragmented. Therefore, the objective of this work was to review the current state of the scientific literature on the possible contaminants of biscuits, considering physical, chemical, and biological hazards, and making a critical analysis of the solutions to reduce such contaminations. The raw materials are primary contributors of a wide series of contaminants. The successive processing steps and machinery must be monitored as well, because if they cannot improve the initial safety condition, they could worsen it. The most effective mitigation strategies involve product reformulation, and the use of alternative baking technologies to minimize the thermal load. Low oxygen permeable packaging materials (avoiding direct contact with recycled ones), and reformulation are effective for limiting the increase of contaminations during biscuit storage. Continuous monitoring of raw materials, intermediates, finished products, and processing conditions are therefore essential not only to meet current regulatory restrictions but also to achieve the aim of banning dietary contaminants and coping with related diseases.