The consumption of pesticide residues contaminated shiitakes resulted in important health issues in humans. This study evaluated the effects of classic household processing on six different pesticides used in shiitake culture, detailed in pesticide residue behavior and processing factors (PFs). Our results demonstrated that stir‐frying or frying reduced the residue levels of all six pesticides. Washing and boiling significantly decreased the concentrations of carbendazim, thiabendazole, and procymidone. After each household processing step, the calculated PFs of all pesticides were less than one except for the 1–10 min boiling of bifenthrin, λ‐cyhalothrin, and β‐cyfluthrin. The most effective combination of processing to reduce the residue levels of carbendazim, thiabendazole, and procymidone in fresh shiitakes was washing for 10 min and then boiling for another 10 min. The best combination of processing to reduce the residue levels of bifenthrin, λ‐cyhalothrin, and β‐cyfluthrin was washing for 10 min and then frying for 60 s.
Practical applications
This study suggests that the residue concentrations of all six pesticides were decreased in shiitakes during household processing. Considering the results of pesticides’ residuals and processing factors, the typical household processing, including washing, boiling, frying, and rehydrating, were recommended to reduce the pesticide residuals. The combination to reduce carbendazim, thiabendazole, and procymidone residues in fresh shiitakes was 10 min washing and then another 10 min boiling. The suggested combination for bifenthrin, λ‐cyhalothrin, and β‐cyfluthrin was 10 min washing and then a 60 s frying.