Residues and Contaminants in Processed Foods, Mushrooms, Cereals and Potatoes, 2015

Summary of Residue Findings in Products from Conventional Production

Ein Bericht aus unserem Laboralltag

Ellen Scherbaum, Alexander Lemke

 

In 2015, in addition to 1,729 samples of fresh vegetables and fruit from conventional production, 338 samples of processed foods, mushrooms, cereals and potatoes from conventional production were analyzed for the presence of residues from over 700 active substances and contaminants. In all, 326 of these samples (96 %) were detected with residues from a total of 171 different active substances. The maximum residue level (MRL) was exceeded in 90 of the 338 samples (27 %), a rate that is slightly lower than that of the previous year (31 %).

 

Supporting image.

 

Investigatory Background

The focus of pesticide residue analyses is usually on fresh fruit and vegetables. However, processed commodities such as deep-frozen products, dried vegetables and fruits, preserved foods, and juices are also consumed in large amounts and must be analyzed. The further processing of foods often leads to a reduction in residues; the judgment of whether a product has met the EU-wide legal MRL must therefore take this effect of processing into consideration.

 

Summary

Ninety-six percent of the analyzed conventional samples (326 of 338) were detected with a total of 172 different active substances. The MRL was exceeded in 90 of the 326 samples (27 %), a rate that is slightly lower than that of the previous year (31 %, see Table 1). The cause for this high level in the last two years is the expansion of the spectrum of investigated substances to include polar pesticides and the high number of MRL exceedances for the substance chlorate. When excluding the samples with high levels of chlorate from the calculation, the percentage of MRL exceedances lies at 5.6 %.

 

Table 1 Pesticide residues in processed foods, mushrooms, cereals and potatoes from conventional production
Number of Samples 338
Samples with residues 326
Samples with residues over the MRL* 90
Average quantity of pesticides 2.4 mg/kg
Average quantity of pesticides excluding fosetyl**, bromide, surface treatment substances 0.51 mg/kg
Average number of substances per sample 4.7

* MRL = Maximum residue level,
**Sum of fosetyl and phosphonic acid; both are fungicides that are widely used which can lead to high levels of residues.

 

The level of pesticidal contamination differed, sometimes greatly, by type of commodity. The results of the residue investigations of processed foods, mushrooms, cereals and potato samples are presented in Tables 2 and 3, differentiated by type of sample.

 

Table 2: Residues in processed foods, mushrooms, cereals and potatoes from conven-tional production, by type of sample
Matrix
No. Samples
W/ Residues
W/ Multiple Residues
Samples > MRL*
No. Findings
> MRL*
Substances > MRL*
Oils
12
12 (100 %)
7 (58 %)
0
0
 
Cereals
18
18 (100 %)
16 (89 %)
1 (5.6 %)
1
Chlorate
Cereal products
12
12 (100 %)
12 (100 %)
0
0
 
Potatoes and starchy vegetables
32
31 (97 %)
27 (84 %)
3 (9.4 %)
3
Chlorate (2x); Metalaxyl -M
Vegetable products
59
58 (98 %)
52 (88 %)
43 (73 %)
44
Chlorate (42x); Dimethoate, sum; Cyazofamid
Mushrooms and products
93
86 (92 %)
77 (83 %)
17 (18 %)
22
Nicotine (5x); Chlorate (12x); Mepiquat (2x); Anthraquinone (2x); DEET
Fruit products
49
48 (98 %)
45 (92 %)
6 (12 %)
6
Chlorate (4x); Dimethoate, sum (2x)
Juices
25
25 (100 %)
25 (100 %)
13 (52 %)
13
Chlorate (13x)
Wine
16
15 (94 %)
8 (50 %)
0
0
 
Baby and infant foods
7
6 (86 %)
2 (29 %)
2 (29 %)
2
Fosetyl, sum (2x)
Spices
2
2**
2
0
0
 
Dietary supplement
6
6 (100 %)
5 (83 %)
4 (67 %)
10
Azadirachtin (3x); Chlorate (2x); Flubendiamide (2x); Trimethylsulfonium cation (2x); Cypermethrin
Hops
4
4**
4
0
0
 
Other
3
3**
2
1
1
Chlorate
SUM
338
326 (96 %)
284 (84%)
90 (27%)
101
-

*MRL = Maximum residue level; ** Data too limited for statistical analysis

 

Table 3: Average number of substances per sample and average quantity (mg/kg) in processed foods, mushrooms, cereals and potatoes from conventional production, by matrix
Matrix
No. Samples
W/ Residues
Ave. No. Substances per Sample
Average Quantity (mg/kg)*
 Comments
Oils
12
12 (100 %)
2.4
0.036
  
Cereals
18
18 (100 %)
3.7
0.062
  
Cereal products
12
12 (100 %)
4.3
0.074
  
Potatoes and starchy vegetables
32
31 (97 %)
3.8
0.76
 Maleic hydrazide in a sample from France, 14.2 mg/kg
Vegetable products
59
58 (98 %)
5.3
0.24
  
Mushrooms and products
93
86 (92 %)
3.5
0.71
 Including dried mushrooms; concentration of residues
Fruit products
49
48 (98 %)
7.6
0.26
 1 sample of raisins contained 22 different active substances
Juices
25
25 (100 %)
6.9
0.088
  
Wine
16
15 (94 %)
2.1
0.011
  
Baby and infant foods
7
6 (86 %)
1.3
0.006
 Few, very low findings
Spices
2**
2
1.1
7.5
 Azoxystrobin 14.2 mg/kg in tarragon from France
Dietary supplement
6
6 (100 %)
7.2
3.3
 Chlorate up to 18.2 mg/kg
Hops
4**
4
4.5
4.0
 Products for the mfg. of beer, some dried
Other
3**
3
4.3
0.034
  
Sum
338
326 (96 %)
4.7
0.51
 -

* Excluding f osetyl, bromide, surface treatment substances

** Data too limited for statistical analysis

 

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Artikel erstmals erschienen am 19.04.2016