Reduction of pesticides residues on okra fruits by different processing treatments

Abstract

© 2016, Bundesamt für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit (BVL). For the first time, the effect of washing, water boiling, chemical boiling, steaming and cooking treatments on the reduction of residues of indoxacarb, fenarimol, acetamiprid and chlorfenapyr in okra fruits was investigated. Residues were analyzed using quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe (QuEChERS) method combined with liquid chromatography tandem-mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). Our results show that some treatments could significantly decrease pesticide residues. The reduction of residues by washing treatment was not correlated to water solubility: Chlorfenapyr (non-systemic pesticide) was decreased by 90 % and acetamiprid (systemic pesticide) was removed by 48 %. Therefore, we suggest that pesticide residues were washed off by removing the loosely attached pesticides on the okra fruit surface. The time of exposure in both boiling and steaming treatments has no significant effect on reduction of pesticides residues. Additionally, cooking after the washing and boiling treatments reduced the pesticides residues. In particular, acetamiprid was reduced after the cooking treatment to 90 %.