Czech Republic: Plant Protection Food Safety: Promising Tool for Tracing Pesticide Residues in Grapes and Wine

Conventional wine producers use various plant protection products such as fungicides and insecticides, for protecting grapevine. Researchers of the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague now provide a method and database for detecting pesticide metabolites in grapes and wine.

Prague/Czech Republic — A new study from the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague found a promising tool for tracing the history of pesticide application on various crops.

The researchers conducted a study on pesticide residues and their metabolites in grapes and wines from the conventional and organic farming systems. “Moreover this tool enables obtaining the evidence on an unauthorized application of plant protection products in organic production,” says professor, Vladimír Kocourek

The 2018 European Union report on pesticide residues in food clearly documents a wide use of pesticides in viniculture worldwide. For example, quantifiable pesticide residues were observed in more than 86 % of grapes; moreover, multiple residues were reported in more than 68 % of tested samples.

The researchers present the results of the analyses of pesticide residues and metabolites in grapes and wines from both conventional and organic production. “Fungicides and insecticides were the most commonly detected pesticide residues; in total, residues of 29 and 25 different pesticide residues were found in grapes and wines, respectively,” says Kocourek.

References: Pesticide Residues and Their Metabolites in Grapes and Wines from Conventional and Organic Farming System

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