Pesticides

Pesticides are an integral part of agriculture today, but their use can lead to residues in food which have been linked to a wide spectrum of human health hazards. The determination and monitoring of pesticide residues in food has become an increasingly essential requirement for consumers, producers and authorities responsible for food quality control. Maximum residue limits (MRLs) are defined as the upper legal levels of a pesticide residue in or on food or feed which result from agricultural practices. Very low concentrations fixed as maximum residue limits (MRLs) have fostered the development of powerful sensitive and selective analytical methods to meet the requirements for analyzing pesticide residues in food samples. Fresh fruit and vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet, as they are a significant source of vitamins and minerals. But because fruits and vegetables are consumed raw or semi-processed, they are expected to contain higher pesticide residue levels than other food groups like milk or meat. Levels of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables depend to a great extent on the method of growing (conventional, greenhouse or organic production) and the part of the year (season) in which they were produced. Food processing techniques such as washing, peeling, cooking etc. have been found to significantly reduce the pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables