![]() The patterns of residual pesticides vary depending on their physical and chemical properties, crop types, pesticide formulations, spray method, and environmental conditions. An analysis of hazards in domestic agricultural products-conducted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), Republic of Korea-revealed that 24 pesticides exceeded the maximum residue limit (MRL) in spinach ( 8). However, as pesticides are toxic, spray standards and pesticide residue management should be strictly implemented ( 7). Consequently, when pesticides are not used, the productivity and quality of crops decrease ( 6). Pesticide usage in spinach is essential because it is susceptible to diseases, such as mosaic and fusarium wilt, and pests, such as turnip moth and Spodoptera litura ( 5). The average daily intake of spinach in the Republic of Korea in 2018 was 5.24 g/day per person this was the 15th highest among all vegetables consumed in the Republic of Korea ( 4). In 2019, spinach production in the Republic of Korea was 70,844 tons, with Gyeonggi-do, Gyeongsangnam-do, and Jeollanam-do producing 24,196 (~34%), 15,873 (~22%), and 8,038 (~11%) tons, respectively ( 3). Hybrid spinach with the characteristics of both Chinese and English spinach is cultivated throughout the year ( 2). In the Republic of Korea, the cultivation period of spinach is decided based on the variety Chinese spinach is sown in autumn, and English spinach is sown in spring and summer. Spinach is an annual crop belonging to the Chenopodioideae subfamily it is an alkaline vegetable rich in various vitamins, iron, and calcium ( 1). Based on the results of this study, blanching after steeping washing can be implemented as an effective method of lowering pesticide concentrations in spinach and other crops, thereby reducing their potential toxicity to humans upon consumption. Therefore, a considerable amount of cyantraniliprole residue in spinach could be removed by washing or blanching. ![]() Blanching for 5 min after steeping and running washing exhibited the highest reduction rate of 93.5%. When spinach was blanched after steeping washing with a neutral detergent, the largest removal rates of 77.9 and 91.2% were observed after 1 and 3 min of blanching, respectively. The most effective washing method to lower residual cyantraniliprole levels was steeping with a neutral detergent, resulting in cyantraniliprole reduction by 42.9–54.6%. The residual levels of cyantraniliprole decreased by 15.1–54.6% and 60.1–93.5% based on the washing and blanching methods employed. The time of each washing and blanching method was set at 1, 3, and 5 min. The amount of cyantraniliprole residue in the spinach samples sprayed with cyantraniliprole during cultivation was analyzed using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC–MS/MS). This study investigated lowering the residual cyantraniliprole levels in spinach after washing and blanching. Consequently, it is important to assess whether residues can be reduced to levels that are harmless to the human body after processing. Cyantraniliprole is used as a systemic insecticide during spinach cultivation, which means it might remain in the crop after processing. Spinach is consumed immediately after a relatively simple washing and heating process in the Republic of Korea. However, as many pesticides are toxic to humans, it is necessary to assess methods that can remove pesticide residues from agricultural products before human consumption. Pesticides are used to protect crops from pests and diseases. Department of Food Engineering, Daegu University, Gyenogsan, South Korea. ![]() Minsoo Park, Hyeonjun Kim, Myungheon Kim and Moo-hyeog Im *
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