The most important factors influencing the human development and health condition are nutrition habits. The quality of food including first of all health safety as well as usable attributes of products often decides about the consumer choice. Safe food should be characterized by both, adequate nutritive value and the tolerably low content of substances which presence could be a risk and threat for health, e.g. pesticide residues. The aim of the study was to estimate long-term and short-term intake of pesticide residues in Polish fruit and vegetables in 2006. The estimation of dietary exposure was based on pesticide residue data from official control of domestic crops carried out by Institute of Plant Protection and on British food consumption data.The estimated dietary intake has shown the chronic dietary exposure of consumers to the pesticide residues in 2006 in Polish crops was relatively low. For fourteen pesticide residues found in apples the long-term intake did not exceed for adult 1.4% and for toddlers 7.6% of the ADI calculated for each compound and respectively 5.1% and 28.3% of the ADI for all compounds total. For eleven residues found in black currants the data were respectively for adult 1.1% and for toddlers 3.3% of the ADI calculated for each compound and 3.3% and 10.3% of the ADI for all compounds total. The long-term exposure values for other 29 commodities were much lower than those for black currant. An acute dietary exposure was estimated for residues of endosulfan in black currants, fenhexamid in raspberries and captan in sour cherries. An acute dietary exposure did not exceed 18.9% for adults and for toddlers 43.2% of the ARfD. The results show that Polish fruit and vegetables are safe in long- as well as in short-term nutrition.
Fruit and vegetables constitute an essential part of human diet and that is why they should be “safe”.
Chemical contaminants of plant origin in food, including the pesticide residues, are defined as critical differentiators of quality and food safety. Pesticide residues are found in fruits, vegetables, cereals and herbs chemically
protected at low concentrations, but they are one of the elements that affect the quality of healthcare.
The aim of this study was to assess the pesticide residues in apples from the north-eastern Poland (Lubelskie,
Podlaskie and Warmińsko-Mazurskie provinces) and get an answer whether any contamination in fruit from the
region is similar to that in other countries and whether it can lead to exposure of consumer’s health. Also assessed compliance of used pesticides with applicable law and found residues were compared with the Maximum
Residue Levels (MRLs). The study showed that 59% of the samples of apples from the north-eastern Poland
contain pesticide residues below the MRL, and 7% above the limits. The estimated dietary intake has shown
the chronic dietary exposure of the most vulnerable groups - children and adults to the pesticide residues in
Polish apples was relatively low and does not constitute a health risk to. The results show that apples from
north-eastern Poland are safe.