Effectiveness of Different Washing Strategies on Pesticide Residue Removal: The First Comparative Study on Leafy Vegetables

Abstract

Leafy vegetables are used in various cuisines worldwide; however, as they cannot be peeled and their leaf surface area is large, the risk of retaining pesticide residues on these vegetables is relatively higher than on others. To our knowledge, this is the first comparative study to reveal the effect of removing pesticide residues from five artificially contaminated leafy vegetables (lettuce, perilla leaves, spinach, crown daisy, and ssamchoo (Brassica lee ssp. namai)) using different removal methods. The percent reduction range for each method was 43.7–77.0%, and the reduction range for the five leafy vegetables was 40.6–67.4%. Lettuce had the highest reduction (67.4 ± 7.3%), whereas ssamchoo had the lowest reduction (40.6 ± 12.9%). Spinach and crown daisy showed no significant difference in their reductions. Based on reduction by method, running water (77.0 ± 18.0%) and boiling (59.5 ± 31.2%) led to the highest reduction, whereas detergent (43.7 ± 14.5%) led to the lowest reduction. The reductions of chlorfenapyr, diniconazole, indoxacarb, fludioxonil, pyraclostrobin, and lufenuron in the leafy vegetables were lower with blanching and boiling than with other methods (p < 0.05). These results highlight the importance of thoroughly washing leafy vegetables to lower the intake of pesticide residues before cooking.

Quality Control of Tomato Products and it's Influenced by Some Technological Treatments on Reducing Pesticide Residues.

“…Tomatoes fruits are mainly composed of water, soluble solids, and insoluble solids. Ripe tomato fruits were chemically analyzed to determine their approximate chemical composition and the results obtained are shown in Table (1).…”

“…The constituents obtained by the human body from fruits and vegetables include water, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, fiber, vitamins, minerals, pigments, and antioxidants, among others. Most fruits and vegetables are available almost yearround in a wide variety, and they not only taste good, but they also have favorable attributes of texture, color, flavor, and ease of use [1].…”

The effect of different decontamination processes on the residues of fipronil and its metabolites in chili fruits (Capsicum annuum L.)

“…Yang et al (2022) performed a comparative study to determine the effectiveness of removing 10 pesticide residues from 5 leafy vegetables artificially contaminated with pesticides using 9 removal methods. The reduction range for each method was 43.7%–77.0% and that for the five leafy vegetables was 40.6%–67.4%.…”

“…Certain remedial actions must be implemented to limit the risk of these residues, allowing consumers to protect their health while consuming pesticide‐treated goods. The effect of different decontamination techniques applied to remove pesticide residues from vegetables was assessed by Andrade et al, 2015, Muppalla & Peddi, 2020, Balkan & Yilmaz, 2022, Bhatnagar et al, 2022; Yang et al, 2022, and Terfe et al, 2023. It is important to note that the effectiveness of any decontamination procedure varies depending on the type of pesticide used, the location of residues in the fruit/vegetable, and the age of the residues (Ta et al, 2018).…”

Residues and Safety Assessment of Cyantraniliprole and Indoxacarb in Wild Garlic (Allium vineale)

“…In addition, leafy vegetables cannot be peeled or trimmed, and their surface areas are large. The risk of pesticide residues being retained on these vegetables is relatively higher than for other crops [ 5 ].…”