The effects and mechanism of using ultrasonic dishwasher to remove five pesticides from rape and grape

Balancing Health and Sustainability: Assessing the Benefits of Plant-Based Diets and the Risk of Pesticide Residues

The increased consumption of fruit and vegetables is essential for moving towards a healthier and more sustainable diet. Vegetarian diets are gaining in popularity due to their environmental and health implications; however, there is a need for additional research investigating pesticide residues in these foods. It is increasingly recognized that the global food system must prioritize nutritional quality, health, and environmental impact over quantity. Food contaminants, including pesticides, mycotoxins, and heavy metals, pose a substantial threat to food safety due to their persistent nature and harmful effects. We conducted a literature search utilizing four distinct databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, NIH, ScienceDirect) and several combinations of keywords (pesticides, food, vegetarian diet, toxicity, sustainable, removal). Consequently, we selected recent and relevant studies for the proposed topic. We have incorporated articles that discuss pesticide residues in food items, particularly in plant-based products. This study rigorously analyzes the harmful environmental impacts of pesticides and ultimately provides sustainable solutions for their elimination or reduction, along with environmentally sound alternatives to pesticide use. This study concludes that the transition towards sustainable agriculture and food production is essential for reducing pesticide residues in food, thereby protecting human health, wildlife populations, and the environment. This paper argues for the urgent need to transform global food systems to prioritize health and sustainability.

Efficacy of Household and Commercial Washing Agents in Removing the Pesticide Thiabendazole Residues from Fruits

Pesticide residues on fruits pose a global food safety concern, emphasizing the need for effective and practical removal strategies to ensure safe consumption. This study investigates the efficacy of household ingredients (corn starch, all-purpose flour, rice flour and baking soda) and four commercial fresh produce wash products in eliminating a model pesticide thiabendazole with and without a model non-ionic surfactant Alligare 90® from postharvest fruits. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was employed for the rapid, in situ quantification of residue removal on apple surfaces. Soaking in 2% corn starch followed by soaking in 5% baking was the most effective homemade strategy, removing 94.13% and 91.78% of thiabendazole with and without the surfactant. Among commercial washing agents, soaking in 2% Product 4 demonstrated the highest efficiency, removing 95.3% and 95.99% of thiabendazole with and without surfactant. These results suggested that the non-ionic surfactant did not affect removal efficiency. Both protocols were effective across various fruits (apples, grapes, lemons, strawberries), validated by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) analyses. However, safety concerns regarding the composition of Product 4 highlighted the benefits of homemade strategies. Overall, this work offers practical guidelines for reducing pesticide residues on fruits and enhancing food.

Causal inference and mechanism for unraveling the removal of four pesticides from lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) via ultrasonic processing and various immersion solutions

This study explores the reduction of carbamates (CAs) and pyrethroids (PYs) - commonly used pesticides - in lettuce using various immersion solutions and ultrasonic processing. It also examines the role of machine learning and molecular docking in understanding the mechanisms of pesticide reduction. The results revealed that the highest reduction of both CAs and PYs exceeded 80 % on lettuce leaves. In most samples, the reduction increased with the power of ultrasonic processing and processing time. The results of machine learning models (XGBoost and SHAP) showed that during the immersion cleaning of CAs and PYs, as well as during both immersion cleaning and ultrasonic processing of CAs + PYs, the reduction was most influenced by the initial pesticide levels and immersion time. Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis of lettuce's wax layer identified 24 compounds, including fatty alcohols, fatty acids, fatty acid esters, and triterpenoids. Despite the absence of active sites, the lipophilic nature of long-chain aliphatic compounds aids in pesticide binding, while triterpenoids form strong hydrogen bonds with pesticides, indicating a robust adsorption on the lettuce surface. This study aims to offer insights into the efficient removal of chemical pesticide residues from fruits and vegetables, addressing critical concerns for food safety and human health.

Ultrasound treatment alleviates external pericarp browning and improves fruit quality of pomegranate during storage

BACKGROUND

Ultrasound treatment has a beneficial role in horticultural production from harvest to consumption. The quality traits and microbiological load in pomegranate fruit were explored during 30 days' storage at 20 °C after 10 min and 30 min ultrasound treatments.

RESULTS

Ultrasound treatment significantly reduced the microbiological load during storage, providing a relatively clean and suitable storage environment. This was especially true for the 30 min treatment, which also maintained relatively lower weight loss and kept the browning rate below 5% during storage. Meanwhile, the fruit treated with ultrasound had higher ascorbic acid and anthocyanin content, which provided better antibacterial properties and higher nutraceutical properties until the end of storage. The 30 min ultrasound treatment significantly delayed the decrease in catalase (CAT) enzyme activity and the increase in peroxidase (POD) enzyme activity. Combined with weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), and correlation analysis, color indicators and antioxidant activity induced by ultrasound treatment were responsible for the relatively higher fruit quality of pomegranate.

CONCLUSION

Ultrasound treatment can improve the sensory quality and nutritional characteristics of pomegranate fruits during storage, and reduce the microbiological load. Ultrasound for 30 min was better than 10 min for prolonging the storage life of pomegranate. Our results will provide valuable information for ultrasound application in other horticultural products. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effects of electrolyzed water‐ultrasound treatment on pesticide removal in fresh‐cut potatoes with different cutting methods

Electrolyzed water (EW) and ultrasound (US) treatment are emerging effective means of reducing pesticides in fresh‐cut vegetables. However, their synergetic efficacy of degrading pesticides in fresh‐cut potatoes has not yet been revealed. Therefore, in this study, the effects of the combination of EW and US treatment on the removal of pesticides (chlorpyrifos, phorate, chlorothalonil, and procymidone) in fresh‐cut potato silks, strips, slices, and dices were investigated. Acidic electrolyzed water (AcEW) was selected as the optimum washing solution for pesticide removal on fresh‐cut potatoes. For the same type of fresh‐cut potato, the AcEW treatment with different sample‐to‐washing solution ratios showed no significant difference in the removal effect of different pesticides. The combined application of AcEW and US could efficiently reduce pesticides for different fresh‐cut potatoes. Furthermore, the optimal effects obtained varied greatly within the range of ultrasonic power 200–400 W and washing time 10–20 min. These results indicated that combining AcEW with US could serve as a promising method for pesticide reduction in fresh‐cut potatoes under respective appropriate process parameters.

Practical Applications

Potato silks, strips, slices, and dices are the most common application form of fresh‐cut potatoes in Chinese dishes. Electrolyzed water (EW) and ultrasound (US) treatment have recently been used in reducing pesticides on fresh‐cut vegetables. However, their synergetic efficacy of degrading pesticides in fresh‐cut potatoes has not yet been revealed. This research provides a simple and novel method for pesticide removal on fresh‐cut potatoes. These steps combine Acidic electrolyzed water (AcEW) and US treatments to explore and improve the process parameters (sample‐to‐washing solution ratios, ultrasonic power, and washing time) of degrading pesticides for different fresh‐cut potatoes, including potato silks, strips, slices, and dices. Besides, the effect mechanism of different treatments on the degradation of pesticide residues was also discussed. The novel cleaning technology is expected to be popularized in vegetable processing plants.

Pesticide Use and Degradation Strategies: Food Safety, Challenges and Perspectives

While recognizing the gaps in pesticide regulations that impact consumer safety, public health concerns associated with pesticide contamination of foods are pointed out. The strategies and research directions proposed to prevent and/or reduce pesticide adverse effects on human health and the environment are discussed. Special attention is paid to organophosphate pesticides, as widely applied insecticides in agriculture, veterinary practices, and urban areas. Biotic and abiotic strategies for organophosphate pesticide degradation are discussed from a food safety perspective, indicating associated challenges and potential for further improvements. As food systems are endangered globally by unprecedented challenges, there is an urgent need to globally harmonize pesticide regulations and improve methodologies in the area of food safety to protect human health.

Fruit-Based Fermented Beverages: Contamination Sources and Emerging Technologies Applied to Assure Their Safety

The food and beverage market has become broader due to globalization and consumer claims. Under the umbrella of consumer demands, legislation, nutritional status, and sustainability, the importance of food and beverage safety must be decisive. A significant sector of food production is related to ensuring fruit and vegetable conservation and utilization through fermentation. In this respect, in this review, we critically analyzed the scientific literature regarding the presence of chemical, microbiological and physical hazards in fruit-based fermented beverages. Furthermore, the potential formation of toxic compounds during processing is also discussed. In managing the risks, biological, physical, and chemical techniques can reduce or eliminate any contaminant from fruit-based fermented beverages. Some of these techniques belong to the technological flow of obtaining the beverages (i.e., mycotoxins bound by microorganisms used in fermentation) or are explicitly applied for a specific risk reduction (i.e., mycotoxin oxidation by ozone). Providing manufacturers with information on potential hazards that could jeopardize the safety of fermented fruit-based drinks and strategies to lower or eliminate these hazards is of paramount importance.

Sonoprocessing: mechanisms and recent applications of power ultrasound in food

There is a growing interest in using green technologies in the food industry. As a green processing technique, ultrasound has a great potential to be applied in many food applications. In this review, the basic mechanism of ultrasound processing technology has been discussed. Then, ultrasound technology was reviewed from the application of assisted food processing methods, such as assisted gelation, assisted freezing and thawing, assisted crystallization, and other assisted applications. Moreover, ultrasound was reviewed from the aspect of structure and property modification technology, such as modification of polysaccharides and fats. Furthermore, ultrasound was reviewed to facilitate beneficial food reactions, such as glycosylation, enzymatic cross-linking, protein hydrolyzation, fermentation, and marination. After that, ultrasound applications in the food safety sector were reviewed from the aspect of the inactivation of microbes, degradation of pesticides, and toxins, as well inactivation of some enzymes. Finally, the applications of ultrasound technology in food waste disposal and environmental protection were reviewed. Thus, some sonoprocessing technologies can be recommended for the use in the food industry on a large scale. However, there is still a need for funding research and development projects to develop more efficient ultrasound devices.

Individual and interactive effect of ultrasound pre-treatment on drying kinetics and biochemical qualities of food: A critical review

One of the earliest and most prevalent processing methods to increase the shelf-life of foods is drying. In recent years, there has been an increased demand to improve product quality while lowering processing times, expenses, and energy usage in the drying process. Pre-treatments are therefore effectively used before drying to enhance heat and mass transfer, increase drying efficiency, and lessen degradation of final product quality. When food is dried, changes are expected in its taste, color, texture, and physical, chemical, and microbial properties. This has led to the need for research and development into the creation of new and effective pre-treatment technologies including high-pressure processing, pulsed electric field, ultraviolet irradiation, and ultrasound. Sound waves that have a frequency >20 kHz, which is above the upper limit of the audible frequency range, are referred to as "ultrasound". Ultrasonication (US) is a non-thermal technology, that has mechanical, cavitational, and sponge effects on food materials. Ultrasound pre-treatment enhances the drying characteristics by producing microchannels in the food tissue, facilitating internal moisture diffusion in the finished product, and lowering the barrier to water migration. The goal of ultrasound pre-treatment is to save processing time, conserve energy, and enhance the quality, safety, and shelf-life of food products. This study presents a comprehensive overview of the fundamentals of ultrasound, its mechanism, and how the individual effects of ultrasonic pre-treatment and the interactive effects of ultrasound-assisted technologies affect the drying kinetics, bioactive components, color, textural, and sensory qualities of food. The difficulties that can arise when using ultrasound technology as a drying pretreatment approach, such as inadequate management of heat, the employment of ultrasound at a limited frequency, and the generation of free radicals, have also been explained.

Effect of ultrasound assisted cleaning on pesticide removal and quality characteristics of Vitis vinifera leaves

In this study, the pesticide (acetamiprid, deltamethrin, and pyridaben) removal and physicochemical quality improvement of vine (Vitis vinifera) leaf were examined using ultrasonic and traditional cleaning for 5, 10, and 15 min. After an ultrasonic cleaning procedure at 37 kHz for 10 min, acetamiprid, deltamethrin, and pyridaben in vine leaf were reduced by 54.76, 58.22, and 54.55 %, respectively. Furthermore, the total phenolic content (TPC) in vine leaf increased to 13.45 mg GAE/g DW compared to that in control samples using traditional cleaning (10.37 mg GAE/g DW), but there were no significant differences in DPPH radical scavenging activity. After 15 min of conventional cleaning, the total chlorophyll and total carotenoid content of leaves were found to be lowest among all samples, at 6.52 mg/kg and 0.48 mg/kg, respectively. In conclusion, when compared to conventional cleaning methods, ultrasonic cleaning with no chemicals or heat treatment has proven to be a successful and environmentally friendly application in reducing commonly used pesticides and improving the physicochemical qualities of leaves.

Dissipation kinetics, safety evaluation, and decontamination of residues of the combo-formulation iprovalicarb 8.4% + copper oxychloride 40.6% WG in/on grapes (Vitis vinifera L.)

A field experiment was conducted to study the dissipation behavior and decontamination of iprovalicarb and copper oxychloride in grapes. After thorough validation, the analysis was carried out by employing LC-MS/MS for iprovalicarb and AAS for copper oxychloride. The dissipation pattern of residues followed a linear first-order kinetics model for both the test fungicides. The half-life values for iprovalicarb were 9.5-13.5 days, and for copper oxychloride was 24.5 days. Based on the study, a pre-harvest interval (PHI) of 17 days is proposed for the formulation. In decontamination studies, combination treatment of 0.1% sodium bicarbonate + ultrasonication and 2% lemon water + ultrasonication has shown the highest reduction of iprovalicarb (90.02% reduction) and copper oxychloride (80.14% reduction) residues, respectively. The safety evaluation data suggest that the daily exposure at all the sampling points was less than the maximum permissible intake (MPI) calculated indicating, safety to consumers. This study will be useful for promoting effective residue management and the safe use of these chemicals for controlling fungal diseases in grapes.

Comparison of Methods for Cleaning Enteral Feeding Tube Junctions of the New International Standard (ISO 80369-3)

Introduction

International standards for enteral feeding involving the use of feeding tubes with junctions have been introduced. If these junctions are not properly cleaned, they can become contaminated, leading to microbial infections. We aimed to compare the ease and effectiveness of cleaning of four methods using the number of bacteria.

Methods

We compared enteral nutrition tube junctions cleaned using four methods such as water, toothbrush, cotton swab, and EnClean® brush with an uncleaned control. Once daily for 7 days, the tubes were injected with nutrients, cleaned, and incubated at 37°C. Samples for bacterial culture were collected before injections on days 7, 14, 21, and 28. The culture samples were incubated at 37°C for 48 h, and the number of colonies was counted.

Results

The number of residual bacteria on day 28 did not differ between the four cleaning methods and the control group. Moreover, no significant difference was observed in bacterial counts among the four wash methods. The number of washes did not differ among cleaning methods.

Conclusion

The bacterial count in the ISO-standardized tube junction increased, and none of the cleaning methods decreased the counts.

Modern Analytical Methods for the Analysis of Pesticides in Grapes: A Review

Currently, research on the determination of pesticides in food products is very popular. Information obtained from research conducted so far mainly concerns the development of a methodology to determine the content of pesticides in food products. However, they do not describe the content of the pesticide used in viticulture in the resulting product. Over the past decade, this study has examined analytical methodologies for assessing pesticide residues in grapes. Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, PubMed, and Springer databases were searched for relevant publications. The phrases “pesticides” and “grapes” and their combinations were used to search for articles. The titles and annotations of the extracted articles have been read and studied to ensure that they meet the review criteria. The selected articles were used to compile a systematic review based on scientific research and reliable sources. The need to study the detection of pesticide residues in grapes using advanced analytical methods is confirmed by our systematic review. This review also highlights modern methods of sample preparation, such as QuEChERS, SPME, PLE, dLLME, and ADLL-ME, as well as the most used methods of separation and identification of pesticides in grapes. An overview of the countries where residual grape pesticide amounts are most studied is presented, along with the data on commonly used pesticides to control pests and diseases in grape cultivation. Finally, future possibilities and trends in the analysis of pesticide residues in grapes are discussed by various analytical methods.

Residue levels, household processing evolution and risk assessment of chlorothalonil, SDS-3701, metalaxyl and dimethomorph in Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo

Dendrobium officinale, a minor crop with medicinal and edible value, is increasingly entering people's diets, but the pesticide residues on it have received little attention. In this work, field trials were conducted under good agricultural practice (GAP) conditions to investigate the residues of chlorothalonil, SDS-3701, metalaxyl and dimethomorph in D. officinale, then the evolution of these pesticides after household processing were studied. The results indicated that chlorothalonil, SDS-3701, metalaxyl and dimethomorph were 2.41-30.12, 0.20-1.23, 0.07-0.80, 0.19-7.90 mg kg^-1 respectively in stems at recommended preharvest interval (PHI, 30 d). Washing and soaking removed the pesticides in fresh stems with the processing factors (PFs) of 0.41-1.14 and 0.12-1.13, respectively. In brewing test, the transfer rates (TRs) of pesticides in dry stems decreased from the first time (4.27-95.40%) to the third time (3.89-15.57%). Intake risk assessments were also conducted and the risk quotients (RQs) were no more than 27.02% for all compounds in different samples, which indicated acceptable risks for consumers. As effective risk-reducing home processing methods, washing, soaking and multiple brewing were suggested in this work, hoping to help consumers with diet safety.

Utilizing Plackett-Burman design and response surface analysis to optimize ultrasonic cleaning of pesticide residues from rape

BACKGROUND

Pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables threaten food safety. Cleaning before eating is a usual way to remove pesticide residues, so it is very important to find the most efficient cleaning conditions for public health. However, many previous cleaning studies only focused on a single variable which required a large amount of time manpower and material resources. Plackett-Burman design (PBD) and response surface methodology can avoid the earlier-mentioned problems and have potential in studying the influence and interaction of multiple factors. In this study, the effect of five factors on the removal of triadimefon and boscalid from rape by ultrasonic washing was evaluated through PBD: pH of water, ultrasonic cleaning time, water temperature, initial residual concentration and volume of water.

RESULTS

Temperature had a significant effect on the rate of triadimefon removal while the other four factors impacted boscalid removal greatly. A higher temperature was better for the removal rate of triadimefon. Under alkaline environment, when initial residual concentration and cleaning time increased with decreasing water volume, the removal rate of boscalid increased. Furthermore, the interactions among factors were obtained. The regression coefficients of fitting equations about triadimefon and boscalid were 0.9657 and 0.9738, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Changing pH of water, cleaning time, water volume and temperature during the washing process of rape through PBD designed experiments represents a valid strategy for improving the removal rate of two pesticides residue. This study provides a reference for ultrasonic cleaning conditions by a sink dishwasher, which has a positive effect on food safety. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Removal of pesticide residues from fresh vegetables by the coupled free chlorine/ultrasound process

Pesticide residue in vegetables has been considered as a serious food safety problem across the whole world. This study investigates a novel advanced oxidation process (AOP), namely the coupled free chlorine/ultrasound (FC/US) process for the removal of three typical pesticides from lettuce. The removal efficiencies of dimethoate (DMT), trichlorfon (TCF) and carbofuran (CBF) from lettuce reached 86.7%, 79.8% and 71.3%, respectively by the FC/US process. There existed a synergistic effect in the coupled FC/US process for pesticide removal and the synergistic factors reached 22.3%, 19.0% and 36.4% for DMT, TCF and CBF, respectively. Based on the analysis of mass balance of pesticides, the synergistic effect was probably attributed to the efficient oxidation of pesticides both in vegetables and in water by the generated free radicals and FC. The surface area and surface structure of vegetables strongly affected the removal of pesticides by FC/US. The removal efficiency of DMT increased from 80.9% to 88.1% as solution pH increased from 5.0 to 8.0, and then decreased to 84.1% when solution pH further increased to 9.0. When the ultrasonic frequency changed from 20 to 40 kHz, a remarkable improvement in pesticide removal by FC/US was observed. As the FC concentration increased from 0 to 15 mg L^-l, the removal efficiencies of pesticides increased firstly, and then became stagnant when the FC concentration further increased to 25 mg L^-l. The pesticide degradation pathways based on the identified intermediates were proposed. The total chlorophyll content was reduced by less than 5% after the FC/US process, indicating a negligible damage to the quality of vegetables. It suggests that the FC/US process is a promising AOP for pesticides removal from vegetables.

Removal of difenoconazole and nitenpyram by composite calcium alginate beads during apple juice clarification

A novel genipin crosslinked calcium alginate/chitosan/polydopamine composite beads (g-Alg/CS/PDA) was synthesized for the removal of residual difenoconazole and nitenpyram during the clarification of apple juice. The composite beads with low potential health risks for all of the main materials were natural, green and biocompatible. Since g-Alg/CS/PDA can both clarify and adsorb, pesticide residues could be removed during the clarification of juice without additional steps. The g-Alg/CS/PDA beads were characterized, and the adsorption parameters, including the pesticide residue levels, adsorption time, pH, ionic strength, fructose concentration and adsorbent dose, were optimized. The adsorption data were fitted to the Freundlich isotherm model (R² = 0.9604, 0.9625) and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model (R² = 0.9993, 0.9999). The results indicated that the adsorption behavior of beads was heterogeneous. Moreover, the rate was controlled by several factors. The adsorption mechanism of two pesticides was also discussed. Hydrophobic and π-π conjugation interactions played a dominant role for the adsorption of difenoconazole, while hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions were the main factors for nitenpyram.

Application of multi-frequency power ultrasound in selected food processing using large-scale reactors: A review

Ultrasound as an eco-friendly green technology has been widely studied in food processing. Nevertheless, there is a lack of publications regarding the application of ultrasound in food processing using large-scale reactors. In this paper, the mechanisms and the devices of multi-frequency power ultrasound (MFPU) are described. Moreover, the MFPU applied in enzymolysis of protein, and washing of fruits and vegetables are reviewed. The application of MFPU can improve the enzymolysis of protein through modification on enzyme, modification on substrate materials, and facilitation of the enzymatic hydrolysis process. The ultrasound treatment can enhance the removal of microorganisms, and pesticides on the surface of fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, the reactors of ultrasound-assisted enzymolysis of protein, and washing of fruits and vegetables on the industrial scale are also detailed. This review paper also considers future trends, limitations, drawbacks, and developments of ultrasound application in enzymolysis and washing.

Effects of electrolyzed water treatment on pesticide removal and texture quality in fresh-cut cabbage, broccoli, and color pepper

The effects of alkaline and acidic electrolyzed water (AlEW, AcEW) treatment on the removal of pesticides (phorate, chlorpyrifos, lambda-cyhalothrin, cyfluthrin, procymidone, and chlorothalonil) and texture quality of fresh-cut cabbage, broccoli, and color pepper were investigated. AlEW efficiently removed pesticides from color pepper, whereas AcEW was the optimal treatment for pesticide removal from cabbage and broccoli. AcEW resulted in greater losses of pyrethroid and organophosphates than fungicides, while AlEW was superior for removing fungicides. The best pesticide removal from cabbage (72.28%-91.04%) was achieved by continuous oscillation treatment, while intermittent oscillation for 20 min achieved optimal results for broccoli and color pepper (72.28%-90.11% and 72.24%-88.12%, respectively). No significant deterioration in texture was detected in samples treated with electrolyzed water for 5-25 min. The results suggest that electrolyzed water treatment is effective for removing organophosphate, pyrethroid, and fungicide residues from fresh-cut vegetables while not negatively affecting their texture quality.

A highly sensitive octopus-like azobenzene fluorescent probe for determination of abamectin B1 in apples

The development of detecting residual level of abamectin B₁ in apples is of great importance to public health. Herein, we synthesized a octopus-like azobenzene fluorescent probe 1,3,5-tris (5′-[(E)-(p-phenoxyazo) diazenyl)] benzene-1,3-dicarboxylic acid) benzene (TPB) for preliminary detection of abamectin B₁ in apples. The TPB molecule has been characterized by ultraviolet–visible absorption spectrometry, ¹H-nuclear magnetic resonance, fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR), electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy (ESI-MS) and fluorescent spectra. A proper determination condition was optimized, with limit of detection and limit of quantification of 1.3 µg L⁻¹ and 4.4 μg L⁻¹, respectively. The mechanism of this probe to identify abamectin B₁ was illustrated in terms of undergoing aromatic nucleophilic substitution, by comparing fluorescence changes, FT-IR and ESI-MS. Furthermore, a facile quantitative detection of the residual abamectin B₁ in apples was achieved. Good reproducibility was present based on relative standard deviation of 2.2%. Six carboxyl recognition sites, three azo groups and unique fluorescence signal towards abamectin B₁ of this fluorescent probe demonstrated reasonable sensitivity, specificity and selectivity. The results indicate that the octopus-like azobenzene fluorescent probe can be expected to be reliable for evaluating abamectin B₁ in agricultural foods.

Application of ultrasonic technology in postharvested fruits and vegetables storage: A review

It has been an important research topic and a serious applicable issue to extend storage time of fruits and vegetables using advanced scientific and effective technology. Among various approaches, ultrasound has been regarded as one of the most pollution-free and effective technical means to significantly improve the preservation of fruits and vegetables. This paper summarizes the application of ultrasonic technology in fruits and vegetables storage in recent years, including removal of pesticide residues and cleaning, sterilization, enzyme inactivation, effect on physico-chemical indexes. Additionally, we also discussed limitations and negative effects of ultrasonic treatment on fruits and vegetables such as damages to tissues and cells. Furthermore, a proper application of ultrasonic technology has been proven to effectively extend the storage period of postharvest fruits and vegetables and maintain the quality. Moreover, the combination of ultrasound and other conventional preservation technologies can further improve the preservation in a coordinate manner and even have a broader application prospect.

Non-thermal technologies: Solution for hazardous pesticides reduction in fruits and vegetables

Pesticide residues in the food above the maximum permissible residual limit (MRL) for safe consumption are a severe concern today. Though unit operations employed in domestic and industrial-scale processing of foods such as high-temperature decontamination and chemical washings degrade the agrochemicals and reduce toxicity, eliminating pesticides from the fresh and raw fruits and vegetables with the retainment of nutritional and organoleptic attributes demand appropriate non-thermal technologies. In this review, the potential of novel technologies like the pulsed electric field, high-pressure processing, irradiation, ozone, ultrasonication, and cold plasma for the reduction of pesticides in fruits and vegetables have been discussed in terms of their mechanism of action, playing around factors, advantages, and limitations. All the reviewed non-thermal technologies exhibited promising effects on pesticide degradation with their unique mechanism of action. Also, these techniques' potential to reduce the pesticides below MRLs and yield nontoxic metabolites in fruits and vegetables were analyzed. However, investigating the impact of the technologies on the nutritional and organoleptic quality profile of the commodities at the processing conditions causing noticeable pesticide reduction and the pathways of degradation reactions of various pesticides with each emerging technology should be studied to enhance the applicability.