Chapter 46 - Fenthion, Dimethoate and Other Pesticides in Olive Oils of Organic and Conventional Cultivation

Abstract

The most common organophosphorous plant protection products are dimethoate and fenthion. Drift is always a potential danger for organic cultivation. In this cultivation system, protection measures are always taken so as to avoid drift from neighboring fields. Despite this, however, it is practically impossible to eliminate the effect of this factor. The hypothesis that the residues in organic oils arise from the contamination of the olives because of drift is usually true, yet of low importance. In drift cases, data in relation to the existence of neighboring cultivations, the local application, common and frequent practice and knowledge of the weather conditions in the area, are essential in order to conclude for residues origin. This chapter presents the status of pesticide residues in olive oil, focusing on fenthion and dimethoate residue data from olive oil samples from organic cultivation and conventional cultivation. The data used are based on the results of our laboratory during the years 1999–2001 and 2005; on the results reported by certification organizations during the period 2006–2008; and on the results cited in recent and current bibliography during the period 2000–2008. These results are used so as to assess the relationship between the quality of organic and conventional olive oil and the levels of selected pesticide residues. Assessment of the factors that affect the levels of pesticide residues in olive oil during the cultivation and production procedures is a further objective of this chapter.