Quality control of food contamination with pesticides

Pesticides comprise a broad category of chemical substances with diverse chemical compositions. They are predominantly employed by agricultural producers to protect crops from pests and enhance yields. However, the presence of pesticide residues in agricultural products used for food production represents a potential health risk, particularly for vulnerable consumer groups such as infants and young children. From a safety control perspective, the focus is on pesticide residues that accumulate in agricultural products intended for food production.

According to the World Health Organization, pesticide residue is defined as any substance or mixture of substances found in food for humans or animals, resulting from the application of pesticides. This includes "any specific derivatives such as degradation products, conversion products, metabolites, and reaction products that are considered to be toxicologically significant." The accumulation of such residues can trigger a range of adverse health effects, including sensitivities, allergies, and the onset of serious diseases, including oncological, neurodegenerative, and chronic conditions.

The control of infant food involves the processing and analysis of samples of infant formula for children up to 6 months of age, follow-up formula for children from 6 months to 1 year, cereal-based food products for infants and young children, and samples of fruit- and vegetable-based baby food.

The National Reference Center for Pesticide Residues has established and validated a multi-residue method for detecting over 200 pesticide residues in infant food, employing liquid and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometric detection (LC-MS/MS, GC-MS/MS). The samples were pre-treated using the QuEChERS method.

Recent results from official regulatory controls and European monitoring efforts demonstrate the safety of infant food in terms of pesticide residue levels. No tested sample over the past few years has exceeded the legally permissible limit for pesticide residues.