The 2018 European Union report on pesticide residues in food

Medina‐Pastor, Paula; Triacchini, G.

doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2020.6057

Cited by 110 publications

(93 citation statements)

References 97 publications

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“…Lettuce is one of the most consumed leafy vegetables worldwide, being a basic component of raw salads prepared in domestic households. Lettuce was included in the last dirty list of fruit and vegetables [9], and in the last EU report, it was one of the commodities that were found to contain multiples residues in more than 50% of the samples analyzed [10]. In addition, lettuce has been implicated in reported outbreaks of microbial foodborne diseases [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbiological and Chemical Quality of Portuguese Lettuce—Results of a Case Study

Ferreira

Lopes

Costa

et al. 2020

Foods

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In addition to environmental pollution issues, social concerns about the sustainability, safety, and quality of conventionally grown fruits and vegetables have been increasing. In order to evaluate if there were any microbiological differences between samples of organic and conventional lettuce, a wide range of parameters were tested, including pathogens and indicator organisms: the enumeration of Escherichia coli; the detection of Salmonella spp.; the detection/enumeration of Listeria monocytogenes; the enumeration of lactic acid bacteria, Pseudomonas spp. yeasts and molds, and Enterobacteriaceae. This study also evaluated the chemical safety of the lettuce samples, quantifying the nitrate concentration and 20 pesticides (14 organochlorine and 6 organophosphorus pesticides). Significant differences (p < 0.05) between the conventional and organic samples were only detected for the counts of total microorganisms at 30 °C. Pathogens were absent in all the samples. The analytical method, using the quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) approach for pesticide extraction, was suitable for detecting the targeted analytes; the limit of quantification (LOQ) was between 0.6 and 1.8 µg/kg (lower than the Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) established by EU legislation). In three organic lettuce samples, one organochlorine pesticide (α-HCH) was observed below the MRLs. For the samples analyzed and for the parameters investigated, except for the total mesophilic counts, the organic and conventional lettuces were not different.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microbiological and Chemical Quality of Portuguese Lettuce—Results of a Case Study

Ferreira

Lopes

Costa

et al. 2020

Foods

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“…Further, current results were compared with maximum residue limits (MRL) of lettuce, spinach and strawberries, based on the EU MRL database [30]. This quantitative evaluation was chosen because we assumed that similar numbers and amounts of residues would be detected in vegetables and fruits growing in private gardens and farms located at equal distances from agricultural areas as the investigated public sites [30].…”

Section: Sampling and Site Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Current residue levels were compared with MRLs for food items typical for home gardens-lettuce, spinach, and strawberries [30]. Comparing the residues found in the grass samples with the MRLs for these three food items, the MRLs for chlorpyrifos would have been exceeded up to 71-fold, for fluazinam up to 24-fold, for dodine up to 23-fold, for captan up to 15-fold, for folpet up to fivefold and for meptyldinocap up to threefold (Table 3).…”

Section: Comparison Of Residues In Grass To Mrls In Vegetables and Frmentioning

confidence: 99%

Year-round pesticide contamination of public sites near intensively managed agricultural areas in South Tyrol

Linhart¹,

Panzacchi

Belpoggi

et al. 2021

Environ Sci Eur

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Background In a previous study, we found that 45% of public playgrounds near intensively managed agricultural areas were contaminated with mainly endocrine active pesticide residues in spring. Here, we investigated potential contamination over the course of a year. Methods Residue data were analyzed from 96 grass samples collected in spring, summer, autumn, and winter by the South Tyrolean Medical Service in 19 public playgrounds, four schoolyards, and one marketplace located within intensively managed agricultural landscapes. Samples were analyzed for 281 substances using gas-chromatography and mass-spectrometry. Results A total of 32 pesticide residues and one preservative agent were found. Almost all of the sites (96%) were contaminated with at least one residue during the year; in 79% of the sites, more than one residue was found. Among the detected residues, 76% are classified as endocrine active substances, with the highest concentrations of the insecticide chlorpyrifos-methyl (0.71 mg kg−1), the herbicide oxadiazon (0.64 mg kg−1), and the fungicides captan (0.46 mg kg−1) and fluazinam (0.23 mg kg−1). The number of residues, their concentrations, and the proportion of contaminated sites varied across seasons (p < 0.001). Twenty-five residues were found in 83% of the sites in spring (median concentration 0.240 mg kg−1), nine in 79% of the sites in summer (0.092 mg kg−1), three in 50% of the sites in autumn (0.076 mg kg−1), and four in 17% of the sites in winter (0.155 mg kg−1). Playgrounds already examined in 2017 in the previous study, were more often contaminated with multiple pesticide residues in 2018 (p = 0.045). Conclusion This study confirms previous findings of widespread pesticide contamination of public sites within intensively managed agricultural areas. Moreover, pesticide residues were also found in periods with little or no pesticide application in the field (autumn and winter). It is worrisome that many of the detected residues are endocrine active substances and that some of them (thiacloprid, bupirimate, captan, folpet) are “suspected human carcinogens”, according to EU authorities. Thus, we call for more effective controls of pesticide applications to minimize pesticide drift into public places.

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“…It was largely employed against sucking insects, e.g., E. vitis and S. titanus [25][26][27]38]. No additional comparisons were planned as thiamethoxam was banned from the EU because of the adverse impact on pollinators [39,40]. Buprofezin (IRAC Group 16) was tested in 2017, showing good effectiveness, but it was also banned from the EU and thus excluded from further evaluations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Control of the American Leafhopper <em>Erasmoneura vulnerata</em> (Fitch) in European Vineyards: Impact of Conventional and Natural Insecticides

Tirello¹,

Marchesini²,

Gherardo³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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The American leafhopper Erasmoneura vulnerata, detected in Europe in early 2000s, has recently become a pest in North-Italian vineyards. Issues were recorded in organic and conventional vine-yards despite the application of insecticides devoted to the control of other pests. Erasmoneura vulnerata completes three generations, and the second generation is frequently associated to large populations. The selection of appropriate active ingredients and the timing of their application is crucial for effective pest control. Field trials were carried out in North-eastern Italy, using a randomized design, to evaluate the impact of insecticides applied against other grapevine leafhoppers on E. vulnerata populations. The beginning of the second generation was selected as best timing for insecticide application. For a number of natural products, two applications were planned. Among the selected insecticides, the most effective were acetamiprid, flupyradifurone and lamb-da-cyhalothrin. Regarding natural products, the most effective was kaolin that could represent an alternative to pyrethrins in organic vineyards. The identification of pest threshold levels and the evaluation of side effects of the most effective insecticides on key natural enemies occurring in vineyards are required

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The 2018 European Union report on pesticide residues in food

Cited by 110 publications

References 97 publications

Microbiological and Chemical Quality of Portuguese Lettuce—Results of a Case Study

Microbiological and Chemical Quality of Portuguese Lettuce—Results of a Case Study

Year-round pesticide contamination of public sites near intensively managed agricultural areas in South Tyrol

The Control of the American Leafhopper <em>Erasmoneura vulnerata</em> (Fitch) in European Vineyards: Impact of Conventional and Natural Insecticides

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