Pesticides in rice-based products commercialised in Argentina

Abstract

People with coeliac disease have a limited diet. Therefore, rice-based products are an ideal alternative. Highlighting this import item, an analytical methodology was validated to determine pesticides in rice-based product samples. The precision was satisfactory for all pesticides since the RSD did not exceed 13% in any case. Regarding recovery, the method had values close to 100%. The limit of quantification was established at 10 µg/kg and the expanded uncertainty was less than 20%. After validation, 80 samples of toasts and rice crackers were analysed. All samples were compliant with the national regulations for dichlorvos and tebuconazole. The pesticide that was present in the highest number of samples was pirimiphos–methyl, but all below the maximum residue limit. From all samples analysed, 38 were positive for at least one pesticide and only one contained four pesticides simultaneously: deltamethrin, pirimiphos-methyl, kresoxim-methyl and epoxiconazole.