The Effect of Household Food Processing on Pesticide Residues in Oranges (Citrus sinensis)

Abstract

In this study, the effect of various household food-processing methods (washing, peeling, processing into jam and fruit juice, freezing, storage) on pesticide residues (abamectin, buprofezin, ethoxazole, imazalil, and thiophanate-methyl) in oranges was investigated. Residue analyses were performed by quick-easy-cheap-efficient-rugged-safe (QuEChERS) extraction and liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analysis. The limit of quantification of the method for each pesticide was 10 µg/kg. Physicochemical properties of the pesticides and the type of the food process had a considerable effect on the fate of pesticide residue. Pesticide residues were mostly dispersed on orange peels and washing with tap water decreased the residue levels by 26–84%. The amount of residue in oranges was reduced by 63–100% during fruit juice processing, while residues were removed by 90–100% after jam processing. Pesticides with a high octanol–water coefficient were absorbed by the wax of the orange peel, therefore they remained on the peel and could not easily be removed by washing. Moreover, pesticides with lower water solubility did not diffuse easily through the fruit juices from the pulp section of the fruit. The processing factor was greater than 1 for the separation of the orange peel and less than 1 for the washing step and jam and fruit juice productions.

Limonun evde işlenmesi sırasında bazı insektisitlerin kalıntılarının değerlendirilmesi

“…Prior to application of a validated method into a routine analysis laboratory, method verification study should be performed to provide evidence that the validated method can be applied by the laboratory. In this context, the reliability of the method was successfully proved at our laboratory conditions and reported previously by Yolci Omeroglu et al (2022) for orange matrix. Based on the results, mean recovery (as a measure of trueness; 70-120%), precision (as repeatability and interim precision relative standard deviation-RSDr and RSDwR <20%) and LOQ of the method (0.01 mg/kg< MRL) were in accordance with the criteria set European SANTE/11312/2021 Guidance Document (SANTE, 2021).…”

“…Since any heat treatment process for sterilization/pasteurization of homemade juice was not included in the production step, the reduction of the pesticide residues in juice can only be attributed to deposition of the residues on the wax and cuticular section of the outer surface, which is related with their higher octanol-water partition coefficient (log Po/w). Yolci Omeroglu et al (2022) observed the same findings for orange juice. Furthermore, Tang et al (2023) stated that degradation or dissipation of five pesticides including etoxazole occurred at a rate of at least 37.6 % in sterilized citrus juice compared with the residual levels in raw citrus.…”

“…In a study reported by Peng et al (2014), it was observed that residues of imidacloprid, pyraclostrobin, azoxystrobin and fipronil deposited on the peels of jujube fruits rapidly penetrated into the epicuticular waxes and the cuticle, so that the concentration of pesticide residues on the peels increased compared to the pulp of the fruit. Yolci Omeroglu et al (2022) concluded the same findings for abamectin, buprofezin and etoxazole in orange. They attributed to these findings to the cuticular waxes which thought to be acted as a transport barrier to prevent forming residual deposits in the citrus pulp.…”

“…Since both orange and lemon fruits are typical representative commodities for citrus fruits which are categorized under the commodity group with high acid content and high water content, the method verification study reported previously by Yolci Omeroglu et al (2022) for orange matrix was considered as appropriate for lemon matrix (SANTE, 2021). On the other hand, during routine analysis of each of analytical batch, quality control studies including deviation of calculated concentration, recovery and duplicate samples were also conducted.…”

“…For calculation of processing factors, the important criteria include to have detectable level of the residues in RAC, therefore it is allowed to apply plant protection products more than the recommended dose and the RACs can be harvested before the harvest period (OECD, 2008). Based on the preliminary studies approximately one to four times of the recommended dose of the formulations were prepared (Acoglu & Yolci Omeroglu, 2021;Yolci Omeroglu et al, 2022). The laboratory samples were dipped into homogeneous solution of the formulations for 30 minutes to ensure a homogeneous distribution within and between samples and to obtain detectable residue level in the samples (Hassan et al, 2022).…”