Effect of Food Processing on Residue of Imidacloprid in Strawberry Fruits

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of some technological processes on the residual levels of imidacloprid in strawberry fruits and products. According to their half-life (t1/2) values, strawberry fruits can be safely harvested for human consumption 7.4 days after spraying. The removal ratio of imidacloprid residue in strawberries was in the range of 9.9–30.55% by washing with tap water. The average amount of imidacloprid residue in strawberry fruits, juice, and syrup under cold and hot break greatly decreased compared with those in unwashed strawberry fruits. Moreover, the residue of pesticide decreased more in strawberries syrup under hot break than cold break. Imidacloprid residue was concentrated into jam and increased to higher levels than strawberry juice and syrup under cold and hot break. A change in physical and chemical properties of strawberry fruits and products was related mainly to the processing operations.