Tokyo Food Safety Information Center » Tokyo Metropolitan Government food safety FAQ »How are inspections for pesticide residue conducted?
How are inspections for pesticide residue conducted?
How are inspections for pesticide residue conducted?
- What parts of fruits and vegetables are inspected?
Pesticide residue inspections are conducted according to methods established by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. Inspections methods are established with extreme specificity for each type of pesticide, including sample preparation methods, analysis equipment used, and inspection procedures.
When inspecting for pesticide residue, the parts which must be inspected are also established for each type of agricultural product as part of the inspection methods determined by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
For example, when testing potatoes and carrots, the inspection is conducted after a light washing with water to remove mud and dirt. With bananas, the stem is removed before testing the entire banana, including the peel. Oranges, grapefruit, and lemons must have the whole fruit tested, while with rice unpolished grains are inspected.
In the pesticide residue inspection process, any residual amounts of pesticides on the agricultural product are extracted, refined, and their concentrations measured. As the concentrations are measured in ppm, extremely sensitive equipment must be used. Some examples of equipment used include gas chromatography mass spectrometers (GC/MS/MS, GC/MS) and high performance liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometers (LC/MS/MS).
For example, when testing potatoes and carrots, the inspection is conducted after a light washing with water to remove mud and dirt. With bananas, the stem is removed before testing the entire banana, including the peel. Oranges, grapefruit, and lemons must have the whole fruit tested, while with rice unpolished grains are inspected.
In the pesticide residue inspection process, any residual amounts of pesticides on the agricultural product are extracted, refined, and their concentrations measured. As the concentrations are measured in ppm, extremely sensitive equipment must be used. Some examples of equipment used include gas chromatography mass spectrometers (GC/MS/MS, GC/MS) and high performance liquid chromatograph-mass spectrometers (LC/MS/MS).