Pesticide residues in imported black tea in Egypt: Occurrence, processing-induced reduction, and health risk
Ahmed Elmahdy1, Hend Mahmoud1, Mostafa Soliman1
1Agricultural Research Center, Central Laboratory of Residue Analysis of Pesticides and Heavy Metals in Foods (QCAP), Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, Giza 12311, Egypt.
Abstract:
The study analyzed the occurrence of 137 pesticide residues in 936 imported black tea samples from India (84), Kenya (768), and Sri Lanka (84) in Egyptian markets using modified QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) with gas and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS). Indian tea showed the highest contamination with 36 pesticides detected and 33.33% of samples exceeding EU maximum residue limits (MRLs). Kenyan and Sri Lankan teas had no MRL violations, with 96.88% and 89.29% containing no detectable residues, respectively. Multiple pesticide residues were present in 88.10% of Indian samples, compared to just 0.78% and 1.19% in Kenyan and Sri Lankan tea, respectively. Boiling and Koshary preparation methods removed up to 92% and 98% of certain pesticides, respectively. Health risk assessment showed total hazard index values of 0.175 for boiling and 0.142 for Koshary tea, indicating minimal health risks under current consumption patterns.
