Everything You Should Know About Testing Your Processed Food for Pesticide Residue

If you are in the food processing industry, you already understand the importance of delivering safe food to the market. Pesticides are a crucial part of the growing process because they prevent damage to crops caused by pests. However, they can contaminate products unless you remove the contaminants. Mistakes in handling could lead to contamination. Once you take the risk of delivering contaminated food to the market, you open yourself up to product liability suits and other legal issues. Fortunately, you can avoid this by testing produce for pesticide residue. Here is what you should know about the process. 

The Side Effects of Pesticides on Humans

Pesticides have several side effects on humans who interact with contaminated food. The level of toxicity of a particular pesticide depends on the nature of the chemical used and how much of the toxin remains on the product. The most common types of pesticides in use include glyphosate, Boric acid, Deet and acephate. These can lead to adverse health effects like headaches, dizziness, nausea, diarrhea and rapid pulse. Consumers can suffer short or long-term outcomes from using these pesticides. 

Types of Food with Highest Pesticide Levels

Different types of food will have varying levels of insecticide. For example, leafy green vegetables are likely to have higher residue levels than other food types because farmers spray the pesticide onto their surface. If you are handling spinach, kale and celery, you should be more vigilant with pesticide residue testing and review. Additionally, berries, grapes, cherries and tomatoes typically have high residue levels. As a producer or seller of these products, you should have strategies to clean them up and prevent further contamination. 

The Benefits of Pesticide Testing

Brand image has become crucial to the entire manufacturing and food distribution process. Consumers have been leaning towards organically produced food because they are more aware of the dangers of eating produce that has pesticide residue. However, you do not have to incur the high cost of procuring organic food as long as you can use the best channels to check for pesticide residue and ensure you deliver safe products to consumers. You also avoid legal issues when you follow these procedures.

Speak to industry experts about your produce and the possibility that you might have to apply measures to eliminate pesticide residue before releasing the product to the market. They will help you take the ideal quality control measures and deliver the best quality to your customers. 

Contact a professional for more information about managing pesticide residue. 

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