Baby food production chain : Pesticide residues in fresh apples and products

During 3 years of a monitoring programme, 522 samples of fresh apples, six brands of fruit purees and various types of fruit baby food prepared from these materials were analysed. Each sample was examined for the presence of 86 GC amenable pesticide residues. The reporting limits of the procedure employed for sample analyses were in the range 0.003–0.01 mg kg−1. Pesticide residues were detected in 59.5% of the samples of fresh apples. However, maximum residue levels (European Union MRLs) were exceeded only in 1.4% of samples. The levels of residues in ‘positive’ fruit purees were substantially lower, overall with residues detected in 33% of samples. Fruit baby food represented the commodity with the lowest incidence of residues being detected in only 16% of samples. The 0.01 mg kg−1 MRL was exceeded in 9% of these products. Multiple residues were found in 25% of fresh apples and in 10% of fruit purees. None of fruit baby food samples contained more than a single residue. Organophosphorus insecticides and ...