Pesticide residue elimination for fruits and vegetables: the mechanisms, applications, and future trends of thermal and non-thermal technologies

Abstract

• Thermal and non-thermal technologies would eliminate pesticide residues. • Non-thermal technologies are superior to thermal technologies in pesticide residues decrease and quality attributes of fruits and vegetables retain. • Combined technologies are more effective than individual technologies. • Elimination efficiency is dependent on product types, pesticide characteristics, and operation parameters. • Green and pollution-free technologies and combined processing technologies are trends. Pesticide residues on food are threatening human health and wellbeing, ecological security. Food processing is one of the necessary ways to eliminate residues to guarantee the safety and sustainable development of the environment. This review outlines the mechanisms, applications, and factors influencing the efficiency as well as their limitations of pesticide residue elimination technologies. Conventional thermal processing technologies like drying, blanching, baking, and roasting have been proved to reduce pesticides extensively whereas sometimes concentration effects occur, and more toxic metabolites or by-products are generated. Additionally, the negative effects on quality attributes of fruits and vegetables (F&V) should be considered. Several innovative non-thermal processing technologies like ultrasound, cold plasma, high-pressure processing, and pulsed electric fields have flourished currently, which show great ability to eliminate pesticide residues significantly with minimal impact on the quality of F&V. In particular, heat-sensitive nutrients like ascorbic acid, phenolics, and carotenoids would retain to a great extent. Similarly, these technologies have their limitations. Furthermore, there is much information about combined processing technology affecting the pesticide behaviors of F&V. Finally, the future developments for pesticide elimination of these technologies are identified and discussed.