LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS analysis of pesticide residues in Ecuadorian and Filipino Cavendish bananas imported into Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

The occurrence of pesticide residues in bananas imported from Ecuador and the Philippines into Saudi Arabia was investigated. Eighty-seven banana samples were purchased from various supermarkets around the country. The conventional QuEChERS method was used to extract 294 pesticides in whole bananas and the analysis was carried out using LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS. In total, nine pesticides were detected of which azoxystrobin, carbendazim, chlorpyrifos, imazalil, and thiabendazole were the most frequently found in bananas from both countries. The levels of these pesticides were complaint according to the Saudi Food & Drug Authority’s (SFDA) maximum residue levels (MRLs), therefore they cannot be considered a public health problem. Detectable residues of these agrochemicals show that they are used extensively in banana cultivation. The Ecuadorian Agency for Agricultural Quality Assurance (Agrocalidad) and the Saudi Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture (MEWA) prohibit the use of carbendazim in agriculture, while the Filipino Fertiliser and Pesticide Authority (FPA) allows its use. A legislative comparison of pesticide approval status revealed a lack of consensus between banana exporting and importing countries that could affect food safety and trade.

KEYWORDS:

• Banana
• mass spectrometry
• MRL
• pesticide
• residue

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Acknowledgments

This research was financially supported by the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA).

The authors are grateful to the Research and Laboratories Sector in SFDA for their keen interest in the study and instrumental support. The authors would also like to extend their sincere gratitude to all SFDA inspectors and laboratory analysts who contributed to data generation.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that no competing interests exist in relation to this manuscript.

Disclaimer

Conclusions reached in this article are based on the personal scientific interpretations of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinion of SFDA.