Determination of Pesticide Residues in Plant-Based Foods from the Republic of Macedonia

Abstract

The present study investigates pesticide residues in samples of fresh and processed fruits and vegetables produced in Republic of Macedonia. Investigations were carried out as a part of the National Monitoring Programme under the recommendations of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). From September 2012 to June 2013, a total of 168 samples of different fresh vegetables: tomato, paprika, cucumber, potato, onion, carrot, cabbage; processed vegetables: pasteurized paprika, ketchup; fresh fruits: apple, acid cherry, table grapes and wine grapes; processed fruits: jams and canned fruits were tested on the presence of 33 pesticide residues. The QuEChERS procedure was used for sample preparation, except for dithiocarabamates and gas chromatography – mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography – tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) techniques were applied for pesticide residues identification and determination. The results of the study showed that cucumber was the crop with the highest number of pesticide residues with the predominant presence of methomyl, (0.015-0.21 mg/kg), metalaxyl (0.04-0.16 mg/kg), and imidacloprid (0.017-0.036 mg/kg). Only two samples (1.19% of the total samples) contained one pesticide residue above the Maximum Residues Levels (MRLs). The results of the current study showed that 98.8% of the tested samples contained residues below the MRLs.