Pesticide Residue Dissipation Upon Storage and Processing in Chickpea Legume for Food Safety.
Literature reveals that though pesticide residue dissipation in selected food commodities through various processes has been well studied, little attention has been given to the persistence of pesticides in chickpea under storage conditions and their dissipation through domestic processing techniques. Food processing at domestic and industrial level would offer a suitable, simple and cost effective means to tackle the situation of pesticide contaminated food matrix. Processing techniques improves the nutritive value of legumes by reducing the anti-nutrients and enhancing bioavailability of micronutrients, the digestibility of protein and starch as well.
Studies on chlorpyrifos residue under simulated storage conditions are scanty. Although, a similar study detected the presence of chlorpyrifos residues in rice stored in jute bags for six months. A recent study in human patients revealed that formation of oxon occurred quite early after ingestion of chlorpyrifos indicating a rapid conversion of the parent compound to its metabolite.
Further, in view of significant role of minerals in human metabolic activities, the effect of chlorpyrifos residues on the bioavailability of selected important micronutrients like iron, zinc, manganese and copper in chickpea. In fact, overall such studies reported in literature are scanty and scattered. Present systematic study focusing on metabolites of pesticide applied revealed very important findings related to food safety and nutritional security. Fortunately, domestic processing techniques can thus reduce the residues of chlorpyrifos thus decontaminating the grains for human consumption.
Adv Food Technol Nutr Sci Open J. 2016; 2(2): 64-72. doi: 10.17140/AFTNSOJ-2-131
