Pesticides and Environmental Contaminants in Organic Honeys According to Their Different Productive Areas toward Food Safety Protection.

Sara Panseri,Francesco Arioli,Giuseppina Tantillo,Luca Chiesa,Elisabetta Bonerba,Federica Di Cesare,Maria Nobile,Francisco Cecati,Giacomo Mosconi

doi:10.3390/foods9121863

Abstract

Monitoring contaminant residues in honey helps to avoid risks to human health, as it is a natural product widely consumed in all population groups, including the most vulnerable, such as children and the elderly. This is important for organic honey production that may be negatively influenced by geographical area pollution. Considering the importance of collecting data on the occurrence of various xenobiotics in different geographical areas, this study aimed to investigate the presence of contaminant residues (persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and pesticides, including glyphosate and metabolites) in organic honey samples from different production areas using different analytical methods, in order to confirm their incidence and possible impact on the food safety traits of organic production. Regarding POPs, traces of benzofluoroanthene and chrysene were detected in honey from intensive orchards and arable lands. Traces of all polychlorobiphenyl (PCB) congeners were detected at different percentages in almost all of the samples, regardless of the origin area. Traces of polybromodiphenylethers (PBDE 28, 33, and 47) were found in different percentages of samples from all of the geographical areas examined. Traces of organochlorines (OCs) and organophosphates (OPs) were identified in honey samples belonging to all of the geographical areas. No glyphosate, glufosinate, and aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) residues were detected.

Highlights

Honey bees play a key role in the environmental ecosystem as pollinating species contributing to the production of marketed honey, beeswax, and other bee products [1]
Other works have underlined that honey contamination is strongly related to the environmental scenario considering the different types of contamination sources [2,10,11]: Pesticides applied in agriculture may contaminate honey and bee products, compromising food safety [12,13]
This study represents the first survey on the presence of different classes of pesticides and persistent environmental organic pollutants (POPs) in honey from the Apulia region in Italy

Summary

Introduction

Honey bees play a key role in the environmental ecosystem as pollinating species contributing to the production of marketed honey, beeswax, and other bee products [1]. Other works have underlined that honey contamination is strongly related to the environmental scenario considering the different types of contamination sources [2,10,11]: Pesticides applied in agriculture may contaminate honey and bee products, compromising food safety [12,13]. For these reasons, in the last decades, beekeeping practices have been implemented in order to ensure human health safety and to preserve the key role of honey bees in the environment, by reducing both direct and indirect beehive contamination [14]. In the literature, the presence of polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), polybromodiphenylethers (PBDEs), organochlorines (OCs), and organophosphates (OPs) in honey samples is well-recognised

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Conclusion