The term “pesticides” is commonly used to refer to plant protection products. According to EU regulations, these products are designed to protect plants from harmful organisms (such as insecticides, acaricides, and fungicides), influence their vital processes (plant growth regulators), preserve plant products post-harvest, and eliminate unwanted plants (herbicides). Plant protection products include herbicides, fungicides, insecticides, growth regulators, repellents, and others.
In Europe, the regulation governing the production, marketing, and use of plant protection products, as well as their residues in food, is based on two main regulations:
- Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009: Governs the placing of plant protection products on the market, establishing procedures for the authorization of active substances and the products themselves.
- Regulation (EC) No 396/2005: Sets the Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) for pesticides in food and feed, defining the maximum permissible concentration of pesticide residues based on good agricultural practices and the lowest possible exposure levels for consumers.
Active Substances and MRLs
Currently, there are 476 active substances approved for use in plant protection products within the European Union. Often, the MRL is not only set for the main active substance but also for related metabolites or degradation products. These limits are regularly updated to include new metabolites, making it necessary to continuously update analytical methods to maintain compliance with regulatory developments and ensure the quality of analytical results.
Pesticides: Risk Assessment
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is responsible for assessing the risks associated with active substances in plant protection products, ensuring they are safe for human, animal, and environmental health. Various organizations, such as EFSA, FAO, and WHO, conduct toxicity assessments of active substances, evaluate cumulative dietary exposure risk, and determine recommended MRLs based on risk assessment results.
Organic Production and Regulation
Consumer preferences are increasingly shifting towards healthy foods free from chemical treatments, leading to the growth of organic farming. Organic production in Europe is regulated by Regulation (EU) 2018/848, while Regulation (EU) 1165/2021 specifies the permitted products and substances, including active ingredients in plant protection products.
Analytical Services
Analytical laboratories offer a comprehensive service to the agri-food industry for the determination and quantification of pesticide residues in raw materials, finished products, and animal feed, ensuring compliance with quality and food safety standards. Analytical performs pesticide residue determination following:
- The official method guidelines UNI EN 15662, using the QuEChERS procedure.
- Internationally recognized methods for single molecule analysis, such as the QuPPE method.
- The principles outlined in the document SANTE/11312/2021, “Guidance document of Analytical Quality Control and Method Validation Procedures for Pesticide Residues Analysis in Food and Feed”.
Analyzed Matrices
We analyze a wide range of food matrices, including:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Vegetable oils
- Wine
- Cereals and derivatives
- Legumes
Our Analytical Services Include:
- Extended multi-residual analysis (on 500 active substances) and determinations of single active ingredients
- Multi-parameter determinations
- Anionic and cationic pesticides
- Dedicated analytical profiles for fruits, vegetables, organic production, zero residue, and feed
- Methods compliant with EN 15662:2018, QuEChERS procedure with and without hydrolysis
With continuous method improvement, strong research and innovation, and the use of cutting-edge and increasingly sensitive technologies, the trend is always to measure different analytes with similar properties together.
