Abstract
Tomato contributes the highest percent to the fruit and vegetables consumed in Tanzania. Its high consumption is attributed to the presence of bioactive compounds and vitamins known to prevent non-communicable diseases. Pesticides used to control pests and diseases cause direct accumulation of pesticide residues in food. Consumption of pesticide contaminated tomato increases the risk of pesticide exposure. This review is on types of pesticides used in tomato production, health effects of pesticides, levels of pesticide residues in tomatoes, dietary pesticide exposure, awareness on pesticides effects and preventive measures as well as policies governing pesticide use in Tanzania. Clearly, there is evidence of extensive use of pesticides in tomato production, limited knowledge regarding pesticide use, as well as weak regulatory framework for pesticide use. Importantly, levels of pesticide residues in tomatoes consumed in Tanzania exceed the recommended maximum residual limits. In order to assure pesticide safety of food, there is a need to identify and control farmers' practices which are highly associated with pesticide contamination in tomatoes. Key words: Contamination, exposure, pesticide, residues, tomato.
Highlights
Tanzania’s economy is highly dependent on agriculture, which accounts for 26% of the gross domestic product (GDP) and about two-thirds of the total exports
This paper is a review on types of pesticides used in tomato production, health effects of pesticides, levels of pesticide residues in tomatoes, dietary exposure of pesticide, awareness on pesticides effects and preventive measures as well as policies governing pesticides use in Tanzania
Since tomato processing technologies in Tanzania are poorly developed and are not capable of reducing pesticide residues in tomatoes, an assessment on the extent of pesticide contamination as well as the consumption pattern for tomatoes in order to be able to advice on appropriate preventive measures against exposure of pesticides in Tanzania is recommended
Summary
Tanzania’s economy is highly dependent on agriculture, which accounts for 26% of the gross domestic product (GDP) and about two-thirds of the total exports. This paper is a review on types of pesticides used in tomato production, health effects of pesticides, levels of pesticide residues in tomatoes, dietary exposure of pesticide, awareness on pesticides effects and preventive measures as well as policies governing pesticides use in Tanzania. Pesticide poisoning causes mortality and morbidity throughout the world in developing countries (Litchfield, 2005) due to the lack of suitable national Maximum Residual Limits (MRLs), overlapping mandates, complex label instruction, limited trainings in pesticide application procedures or hazard awareness in addition to unwillingness of manufacturers to generate new data for crops of importance to these countries (Agriculture-Consumer-Protection, 2001)
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