Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.31306/s.68.1.3
Food safety and pesticide residues in plant-based food: four-year monitoring results
Monika Ćosić
; University “VITEZ“, Vitez, Bosnia and Herzegovina
*
Tanja Bavrka Bošnjak
; University “VITEZ“, Vitez, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Zvjezdana Herceg
; Croatian Institute of Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia
Amina Vukotić
; University “VITEZ“, Vitez, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Darko Bošnjak
; Public Health Institute SBK/KSB, Travnik, University “VITEZ“, Vitez, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Amela Semić
; AS Holding Ltd., Business Quality and Sustainable Development, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Edita Grebenar
; Public Health Institute SBK/KSB, Travnik, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Ines Kujundžić
; Public Health Institute, Split, Croatia
* Corresponding author.
Abstract
Food safety is crucial for protecting consumer health, as pesticides used in agriculture to safeguard crops may leave residues in food products. These residues can pose health risks, necessitating regulatory monitoring, such as Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) for pesticide residues. In the European Union, these levels are stipulated by Regulation (EC) No 396/2005.
The aim of this study was to analyze the amount of pesticides in food products from the Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia, from 2019 to 2023, using analytical methods LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS. The samples included fruits, vegetables, olive oil, and jams, with a focus on detecting and quantifying pesticide residues.
The findings indicate that all food samples analyzed using LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS methods had pesticide levels below the detection limit, with the exception of a few isolated cases where pesticides such as malathion, permethrin, and deltamethrin were detected above this threshold but still within the permissible limits. The only exception was strawberry jam, in which captafol was found at concentrations exceeding the maximum residue level (MRL).
The tested samples encompassed a variety of agricultural products, and the GC-MS/MS analysis revealed that out of 22 food items, 15 samples (68.2%) contained pesticide levels below the detection limit, while 6 samples (27.3%) showed pesticide residues above the detection limit but within the permissible limit. Only one sample (4.5%) had pesticide levels exceeding the maximum allowable limit. Similarly, the LC-MS/MS analysis found that 21 samples (95.2%) had pesticide levels below the detection limit, with only one sample (4.5%) exceeding this threshold. These results suggest that food safety regulations were generally well adhered to, with only a few isolated instances of detected pesticide residues requiring further monitoring.
The results show that in the majority of the analyzed samples, pesticide levels were below the detection limit or within permitted values, indicating overall effective control of pesticides in food production. However, isolated cases in samples of kale, lemon, nectarine, and strawberry jam, where certain pesticides were detected above the detection limit or allowed concentrations, suggest a possible localized issue, deficiencies in monitoring, or potential sources of contamination during storage and transportation. It is recommended that further analyses and investigations be conducted to confirm the consistency of these findings and identify the causes of these irregularities, with the aim of improving the monitoring system.
Keywords
GC-MS/MS, LC-MS/MS, pesticides, food safety
Hrčak ID:
346589
URI
Publication date:
27.4.2026.
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