Development status and prospect of cold chain logistics of fruits,vegetables,and agricultural products based on intelligent technology

The cold chain in the production area of fruits and vegetables is the primary link to reduce product loss and improve product quality,but it is also a weak link.With the application of big data technology in cold chain logistics,intelligent devices,and technologies have become important carriers for improving the efficiency of cold chain logistics in fruit and vegetable production areas,extending the shelf life of fruits and vegetables,and reducing fruit and vegetable losses.They have many advantages in fruit and vegetable pre-cooling,sorting and packaging,testing,warehousing,transportation,and other aspects.This article summarizes the rapidly developing and widely used intelligent technologies at home and abroad in recent years,including automated guided vehicle intelligent handling based on electromagnetic or optical technology,intelligent sorting based on sensors,electronic optics,and other technologies,intelligent detection based on computer vision technology,intelligent transportation based on perspective imaging technology,etc.It analyses and studies the innovative research and achievements of various scholars in applying intelligent technology in fruit and vegetable cold chain storage,sorting,detection,transportation,and other links,and improves the efficiency of fruit and vegetable cold chain logistics.However,applying intelligent technology in fruit and vegetable cold chain logistics also faces many problems.The challenges of high cost,difficulty in technological integration,and talent shortages have limited the development of intelligent technology in the field of fruit and vegetable cold chains.To solve the current problems,it is proposed that costs be controlled through independent research and development,technological innovation,and other means to lower the entry threshold for small enterprises.Strengthen integrating intelligent technology and cold chain logistics systems to improve data security and system compatibility.At the same time,the government should introduce relevant policies,provide necessary financial support,and establish talent training mechanisms.Accelerate the development and improvement of intelligent technology standards in the field of cold chain logistics.Through technological innovation,cost control,talent cultivation,and policy guidance,we aim to promote the upgrading of the agricultural industry and provide ideas for improving the quality and efficiency of fruit and vegetable cold chain logistics.

Detection of Adenovirus in Fresh Fruit, Vegetables, Wastewater and Manure from Irrigated Farms in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Enteric viral pathogens are responsible for numerous epidemics associated with the consumption of fresh fruit and vegetable, whether raw or minimally processed. The aim of the present study was to assess agricultural practices and the presence of adenovirus (AdV) in fruits and vegetables, manure and irrigation wastewater sampled in the urban and peri-urban perimeters of Ouagadougou. A total of 286 samples including 30 lettuces, 42 tomatoes, 30 carrots, 30 strawberries, 74 manures and 80 wastewater samples were collected from four market garden sites in and around Ouagadougou. Nested PCR was performed with specific primers to detect adenoviruses (AdVs). A face-to-face survey was carried out using a questionnaire on market garden production practices. Overall, adenoviruses prevalence was 5.9% [IC95, 3.2% - 8.7%] in all samples analyzed. It was specifically 7.14% (3/42) from tomatoes, 6.7% (2/30) from lettuces, 20% (6/30) on strawberries and 7.5% (6/80) in irrigation water. The survey showed that irrigation water came from untreated sources (dam, well, canal) and then 52% of farms used untreated manure. No farms have implemented measures to limit access by domestic and wild animals. This work shows the presence of human adenoviruses in surface irrigation water and fresh produce, which is of concern when fresh produce is consumed raw. To reduce the public health risks associated with consuming these foods, it is essential to follow good hygiene and cultivation practices.

Design and Development of Web-based Expert System for the Diagnosis of Disease and Pests of Fruits and Vegetables

According to the requirements of agricultural production and usem, taking diagnosis and decision-making of prevention for common diseases and pests in fruits and vegetables in southern China as the core, with communication and sharing as principle, adopted diagnosis, inquiries and guiding prevention of diseases and pests in fruits and vegetables as purpose, expert examination system of plant disease and pests in fruits and vegetables based on Web highly integrates the knowledge and prevention techniques of common diseases and pests for main fruit and vegetable in south China. In this system, the users can browse and inquiry the information about the fruit and vegetable diseases and pests, as well as their diagnosis and control. The implementation of the system plays an active role in promo- ting plant protection knowledge and guiding farms to scientifically control diseases and pests in fruits and vegetables

Rapid screening of 420 pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables using ultra high performance liquid chromatography combined with quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry

A new method for screening and identification 420 pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-time of flight mass spectrometry(UPLC-Q-TOF/MS)were developed.The samples were extracted with acetonitrile/acetic acid(99:1,V/V),and clean-up by SinChERS-Nano(single-step,cheap,effective,rugged,safe,nano)column,determined by UPLC-Q-TOF/MS.The accurate mass database and MS/MS database which contains 420 pesticides were established,the automatic retrieval of detection results was carried on according to the accurate mass,retention time,isotope ratio,ion fragment information,and so on.Method verification was performed on leeks samples.The results showed that 420 pesticides had good linearity in the range of 0.1-100μg/L,and the correlation coeffificients(R2)was greater than 0.990.The limits of detections(LODs)and limits of quantifications(LOQs)of 420 pesticides were in range of 0.05-2.0 and 0.1-5.0μg/L,respectively.The average spike recoveries at 3 levels were 70.1%to 119.7%,and the relative standard deviations(RSD)were lower than 20%(n=6).With this method,a survey of pesticide residues was conducted for 110 samples of 10 different fruits and vegetables,which provided scientific data for ensuring pesticide residue safety of the fruits and vegetables consumed daily by the public.This method was simple,sensitive and accurate,and could be used for rapid screening of 420 pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables.

Selected fermented indigenous vegetables and fruits from Malaysia as potential sources of natural probiotics for improving gut health

In the Peninsular Malaysia and Northern Borneo island of Malaysia, various rich indigenous leafy vegetables and fruits grow and contribute to the nutritional and dietary values of the population. They have high water contents, thus, naturally vulnerable to rapid food spoilage. Food preservation and processing play a vital role in the inhibition of food pathogens in fruits and vegetables that are prevalent in Malaysia. Lactic acid fermentation is generally a local-based bioprocess, among the oldest form and well-known for food-processing techniques among indigenous people there. The long shelf life of fermented vegetables and fruits improves their nutritional values and antioxidant potentials. Fermented leaves and vegetables can be utilized as a potential source of probiotics as they are host for several lactic acid bacteria such as Lactobacillus confusus, Weissella paramesenteroides, Enterococcus faecalis, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus buchneri, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus pentosus, Pediococcus acidilactici, Pediococcus pentosaceus and Leuconostoc mesenteroides. These strains may be more viable in metabolic systems whereby they can contribute to a substantial increase in essential biologically active element than industrial starter cultures. This review is aimed to address some essential fermented fruits and vegetables in Malaysia and their remarkable reputations as a potential sources of natural probiotics.

Experimental Study and Modeling of a Convective Dryer for Fruits and Vegetables

The present work deals with the study of the thermal performances of a convective dryer for fruits and vegetables. This dryer, operating with energy generated from the combustion of biomass in a boiler connected to a water/air heat exchanger could be a solution to the problematic of energy related to drying. An experimental and theoretical study is carried out on the temperature profile inside the dryer. For this purpose, 10.3 kg of tomatoes were dried on the experimental setup. The operation lasted about 16 hours and reduced the moisture content from 93.8% to 12% in wet basis. The overall thermal efficiency of the convective dryer during the trial is 10.76%. For the theoretical study, the dryer components (boiler, water/air exchanger and drying chamber) are first modeled individually;the different sub-programs are then coupled to form the convective dryer program. The method of global heat balances combined with the one called “ε-NUT” is used. The set of equations is discretized using the implicit method of finite differences, then solved with the Gauss algorithm in Fortran 90. The theoretical results obtained are in good agreement with those measured.

Role of bitter contributors and bitter taste receptors:a comprehensive review of their sources,functions and future development

Bitterness,one of the 5“basic tastes”,is usually undesired by humans.However,abundant literature reported that bitter fruits and vegetables have beneficial health effects due to their bitter contributors.This review provided an updated overview of the main bitter contributors of typical bitter fruits and vegetables and their health benefits.The main bitter contributors,including phenolics,terpenoids,alkaloids,amino acids,nucleosides and purines,were summarized.The bioactivities and wide range of beneficial effects of them on anti-cancers,anti-inflammations,anti-microbes,neuroprotection,inhibiting chronic and acute injury in organs,as well as regulating behavior performance and metabolism were reported.Furthermore,not only did the bitter taste receptors(taste receptor type 2 family,T2Rs)show taste effects,but extra-oral T2Rs could also be activated by binding with bitter components,regulating physiological activities via modulating hormone secretion,immunity,metabolism,and cell proliferation.This review provided a new perspective on exploring and explaining the nutrition of bitter foods,revealing the relationship between the functions of bitter contributors from food and T2Rs.Future trends may focus on revealing the possibility of T2Rs being targets for the treatment of diseases,exploring the mechanism of T2Rs mediating the bioactivities,and making bitter foods more acceptable without getting rid of bitter contributors.

Nutritional and Antioxidant Evaluation and Effect of Eggplant Consumption on Anthropometric and Hematologic Parameters in Wistar Rats

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the nutritional quality of green and purple eggplant, their antioxidant activity and their nutritional efficacy on Wistar rats. For nutritional quality, the parameters measured are dry matter, protein, lipid, ash, carbohydrate, iron, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and energy content. For antioxidant activity, the parameters measured are 50% DDPH free radical inhibition concentration and total polyphenol content. Nutritional efficacy was evaluated in rats fed the control diet and in rats fed the three treated diets containing eggplant meal obtained by replacing 5%, 10%, and 15% of the control diet. The parameters measured are the amount consumed, the weight of the animal and target organs, and hematologic parameters. The results of the nutritional analysis show the following values: 13.31% protein, 2.66% lipids, 0.84% calcium, 0.12% magnesium, 0.43% phosphorus for the Solanum aethiopicum L. species and 13.47% protein, 3.66% lipids, 0.36% calcium, 0.22% magnesium, 0.35% phosphorus for the Solanum melongena L. species. In terms of antioxidant activity, we obtained DDPH inhibition percentages of 40.28 mg/ml for Solanum aethiopicum L. and 12.42 mg/ml for Solanum melongena L., respectively. Finally, hematologic and anthropometric tests showed that for the different diets used, weight loss and an increase in hematologic parameters were observed in the rats tested. This study showed that eggplant has interesting nutritional characteristics and antioxidant activity, contributing to an increase in weight and anthropometric parameters.

Optimizing Household Wastes (Rice, Vegetables, and Fruit) as an Environmentally Friendly Electricity Generator

The high consumption of electricity and issues related to fossil energy have triggered an increase in energy prices and the scarcity of fossil resources.Consequently,many researchers are seeking alternative energy sources.One potential technology,the Microbial Fuel Cell(MFC)based on rice,vegetable,and fruit wastes,can convert chemical energy into electrical energy.This study aims to determine the potency of rice,vegetable,and fruit waste assisted by Cu/Mg electrodes as a generator of electricity.The method used was a laboratory experiment,including the following steps:electrode preparation,waste sample preparation,incubation of the waste samples,construction of a reactor using rice,vegetable,and fruit waste as a source of electricity,and testing.The tests included measuring electrical conductivity,electric current,voltage,current density,and power density.Based on the test results,the maximum current and voltage values for the fruit waste samples were 5.53 V and 11.5 mA,respectively,with a current density of 2.300 mA/cm^(2) and a power density of 12.719 mW/cm^(2).The results indicate the potential for a future development.The next step in development involves determining the optimum conditions for utilizing of rice,vegetable,and fruit waste.The results of the electrical conductivity test on rice,vegetable,and fruit waste samples were 1.51,2.88,and 3.98 mS,respectively,with the highest electrical conductivity value found in the fruit waste sample.

Contents of Phytosterols in Vegetables and Fruits Commonly Consumed in China

Objective To quantify five specific dietary phytosterols and phytostanols in vegetables and fruits commonly consumed in China. Methods A total of 34 different kinds of vegetables and 33 kinds of fruits were chosen according to the consuming habit of Chinese people. All the samples were purchased from two shops in Beijing. The contents of phytosterols （13-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, 13-sitostanol, and campestanol） were analyzed by GLC method which was established by our laboratory, and the total phytosterols were calculated. Results The total phytosterol content in vegetables ranged 1.1-53.7 mg/100 g edible portion. The highest concentration was found in pea, cauliflower, broccoli, and romaine lettuce. The phytosterol contents in fruits ranged 1.6-32.6 mg/100 g, the highest concentration was found in navel orange, tangerine, and mango. Conclusion The phytosterol contents in vegetables and fruits are not as high as those in edible oils, but because of the large amount of consumption, they also play an important role in increasing the people＇s phytosterols intake, indicating that increased intake of vegetables and fruits with higher phytosterol contents helps increase the phytosterol intake in China.

Simultaneous Screening of 733 Pesticide Residues in Fruits and Vegetables by a GC/LC-Q-TOFMS Combination Technique

In this paper,we report the construction of two accurate mass databases and the development of a combination detection method that simultaneously screens for 733 pesticide and chemical contaminant multi-residues via high-throughput liquid chromatography(LC)-and gas chromatography(GC)-quadru pole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry(Q-TOFMS).This work demonstrates that electronic mass spectral standards may replace chemical-source standard materials as references through one sample preparation and the combination of GC/LC-Q-TOFMS screening.This cutting-edge technique has also replaced multiresidue determination using targeted detection with non-targeted screening.The pesticide residue types,sensitivity,recovery,and reproducibility of this combination technique are evaluated in eight fruit and vegetable matrices.This technique shows three advantages:①In comparison with the discovery capability of a single technique,the combination technique shows an improvement of 51.1%(GC-QTOFMS)and 39.6%(LC-Q-TOFMS),respectively;②the combination technique can satisfy a screening limit lower than 10μg·kg^-1 and meet the requirements of“uniform standards,”although some of the pesticide residues could be optimized to further improve screening sensitivity;③over 488 pesticides with recoveries between 60%-120%and relative standard deviation(RSD)<20%at a spiked level of 10μg·kg^-1 were detected with the combination technique in eight different matrices.From 2012 to 2017,this combination technique was applied in an investigation to screen pesticide residues from 1384 sampling locations for 38138 batched samples covering 18 categories and 134 types of fruits and vegetables obtained from across the mainland of China.After statistical analysis,533 pesticides in 115891 determinations were detected,and the regularity of pesticides in the fruits and vegetables sold on the Chinese market was shown.

Analysis of the Influencing Factors and Key Driving Force concerning the Efficiency of Green Supply Chain of Fruits and Vegetables

Like the general green supply chain,the green supply chain of fruits and vegetables also requires low negative effects of the environment and high resource utilization rate,as well as the healthiness and freshness of fruits and vegetables.Currently,the level of development of the green supply chain of fruits and vegetables is low in China,and the freshness of fruits and vegetables can not be well maintained,so there is an urgent need to improve the operational efficiency of the green supply chain of fruits and vegetables.The operational efficiency of the green supply chain of fruits and vegetables is affected by many factors,and the most important factor is the incomplete consistency between the individual interests of supply chain members and the overall interests of supply chain.Therefore,the key driving force to improve the efficiency of green supply chain of fruits and vegetables is to build the scientific and rational collaborative decision-making mechanism of supply chain,in order to solve the problems concerning the green supply chain of fruits and vegetables,such as risk sharing,cost control and revenue allocation,thereby achieving the coordinated development of the green supply chain of fruits and vegetables.

Studies on Fungi Responsible for the Spoilage/Deterioration of Some Edible Fruits and Vegetables

Investigation of fungi responsible for the post harvest deterioration of Lycopersicum esculentus (tomatoes), Elaeis guineensis (palm fruit), Ipomoea batatas (sweet potato), Solanum tuberosum (Irish potato), Musa sapientum (banana), Doucus carota (carrot), Musa paradisiaca (plantain), Carica papaya (pawpaw), Persea americana (Avocado pear), Citrullus lanatus (water-melon) and Capsicum chinense (fresh red pepper) from five different markets and farm lands in Enugu state, Nigeria was carried out. Healthy and diseased samples were collected from the selected markets/ farmlands. Fungal species found associated with the deterioration of the various fruits and vegetables tested included Mucor species (M. indicus, M. amphibiorum, M. racemosus and M. hiemalis), Rhizopus species (Rhizopus stolonifer, R. nigrican and R. oligosporus), Candida albicans, Aspergillus species (Aspergillus fumigatus, A. niger and A. flavus) and Penicillum species (P. oxalicum and P. chrysogenum) and Fusarium species (F. accuminatum, F. oxysporum, F. eqiuseti and F. moniliforme, F. solani, F. dimerum). All isolated fungi were pathogenic to the different fruits and vegetables from the result of pathogencity tests carried out.

Purchasing Patterns and Consumer Level Waste of Fruits and Vegetables in Urban and Peri-Urban Centers in the Philippines

Fruits and vegetables are inherently perishable hence they are considered as one of the most wasted categories of food. While several studies have been conducted to assess consumer level waste of fruits and vegetables, few have been conducted in developing countries like the Philippines. A survey, using a pre-tested questionnaire, and involving 500 respondents, was conducted in selected urban and peri-urban areas in the Philippines, to ascertain consumer level fruit and vegetable waste. The quantities of fruits and vegetables wasted by supermarket shoppers and those who purchased fruits in wet markets were comparably low at 3% - 4%. This low level of consumer fruit and vegetable waste was attributed to the small quantities (250 to 500 grams per purchase) purchased by consumers in both categories of markets. Consumer level fruit and vegetable waste, showed a positive correlation to household size. The level of fruit waste was positively related to household income, and negatively related to shopper’s age. Consumers who shopped in supermarkets, purchased larger quantities of fruit when compared to those who shopped in wet markets. Wet market shoppers on the other hand, purchased large quantities of vegetables. Decay, and quality loss manifested by shriveling, wilting, toughening, browning and softening were the main characteristics of fruits and vegetables discarded by consumers. The underlying causes of this waste, cited by respondents included “forgot to eat”, “poor quality”, “forgot to cook” and “overbuying”. Consumer efforts to minimize waste include buying enough for consumption, consuming or using immediately after purchase, planning their menus, improving storage and purchasing produce that is of good quality.

Food Functionality of Popular and Commonly Consumed Indigenous Vegetables and Fruits from Bangladesh

Functional food can be either natural or processed. Food contains known biologically active compounds, which provides clinically proven and documented health benefit. So far, no database is available in Bangladesh regarding the functionality of the indigenous foods. As a primary step, this study had been conducted with an aim to identify and characterize functionality of the indigenous foods of Bangladesh. Eight fruits and vegetables, which are very popular for their taste, price and easy availability, have been selected for in vitro screening of their functionality. High levels of fat and sugar binding capacity were observed in Pineapple (500% and 270.891% respectively). High nuplli mortality rate was found in cytotoxicity test with Pomelo extract (100%), which also contained high level of vitamin C (155 mg/100g). Pomelo contained the highest level of antioxidant among all these foods (0.674 nMol/100μl/mg protein). Red amaranth contained highest amount of protein (4.31 g/100g). In stem amaranth, Iron level was highest (1855.67 mg/kg). Total phenolics content of Water spinach and Stem amaranth were found higher than the other samples (59.339 and 55.728 mg GAE/g respectively). All these experiments showed these vegetables and fruits have high health impacts and can be act as potential functional foods.

Chemical Characterization and Anti-Radical Activity of Fruits and Vegetables Commonly Consumed in Brazzaville

The objective of this study was to analyze ten (10) species of edible vegetables and nine (9) fruit commonly found in Congo (Brazzaville) in order to determine their total polyphenol content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC), and their antiradical activity by the method of 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). The results obtained showed that the highest TPC and TFC were found, on the one hand, in the extracts of four species of vegetables, i.e. Ipomoea batatas L. (536.02 ± 0.01 mg of GAE/100 g DW;486.46 ± 0.10 mg of QtE/100 g DW), Cucurbita pepo (533.60 ± 0.05 mg of GAE/100 g DW;303.72 ± 0 mg of QtE/100 g DW), Hibiscus sabdariffa (421.02 ± 0.015 mg of GAE/100 g DW;243.49 ± 0.10 mg of QtE/100 g DW), Solanum negrum 1 (412.10 ± 0.05 mg of GAE/100 g DW;292.10 ± 0.14 mg of QtE/100 g of DW) and, on the other hand, in the extracts of two species of fruit, i.e. Chrysophyllum lacourtianum (532.79 ± 0.19 mg of GAE/100 g of DW;380.55 ± 0.10 mg of QtE/100 g of DW) and seeds of Aframomum alboviolaceum (469.38 ± 0.28 mg of GAE/100 g DW;107.27 ± 0.10 mg of QtE/100 g DW). The lowest TPC and TFC were obtained with the extracts of Brassica campestris and of Spinacia oleracea, respectively 97.78 ± 0.17 GAE mg/100 g DW and 27.52 ± 0.10 QtE mg/100 g DW. The extract of the Saba senegalensis pulp had the lowest TPC and TFC. In addition, the highest antiradical activity was observed with extracts from vegetables and fruit with high TPC and TFC. The results indicate that these vegetables and fruit could be potential sources of the phenolic compounds and the biomolecules having several biological activities. Thus, their consumption might be an alternative in the prevention of chronic diseases.

Polyphenols, Carotenoids, Vitamin C Content in Tropical Fruits and Vegetables and Impact of Processing Methods

Thirty-five fruits and seventeen vegetables from Martinique were evaluated for total phenol content (TPC), Vitamin C and carotenoid content. TPC, Vitamin C and carotenoid contents ranged from 11.7 to 978.6 mg/100g, 0.1 to 2853.8 mg/100g and 9.7 to 9269.7 μg/100g respectively. Fruits and vegetables from Martinique have equivalent or higher TPC, Vitamin C and carotenoid contents than fruits and vegetables from temperate climates. Cashew apple had high values for all three parameters (55.8 mg/100g of Vitamin C, 603 mg/100g of TPC and 924 μg/100g of carotenoids). Bassignac mango and mamey apple had the highest carotenoid contents, with 3800.3 and 3199.7 μg/100g respectively. Acerola had the highest Vitamin C and polyphenol contents with 2853.8 μg/100g and 727.4 mg/100g respectively. Pigeon peas had high values for all three parameters (569.2 mg/100g of Vitamin C, 978.6 mg/100g of TPC and 364.3 μg/100g of carotenoids). Pumpkin and watercress had the highest carotenoid content, with 9269.7 and 4339 μg/100g respectively. TPC, Vitamin C and carotenoid content were significantly impacted by processing techniques. TPC, Vitamin C and carotenoid contents decreased by up to 75.78%, 100% and 70.18% respectively, depending on the processing technique used.

Colors of vegetables and fruits and the risks of colorectal cancer

AIM To investigate the relationship between the colors of vegetables and fruits and the risk of colorectal cancer in Korea.METHODS A case-control study was conducted with 923 colorectal cancer patients and 1846 controls recruited from the National Cancer Center in Korea. We classified vegetables and fruits into four groups according to the color of their edible parts(e.g., green, orange/yellow, red/purple and white). Vegetable and fruit intake level was classified by sex-specific tertile of the control group. Logistic regression models were used for estimating the odds ratios(OR) and their 95% confidence intervals(CI).RESULTS High total intake of vegetables and fruits was strongly associated with a reduced risk of colorectal cancer in women(OR = 0.32, 95%CI: 0.21-0.48 for highest vs lowest tertile) and a similar inverse association was observed for men(OR = 0.60, 95%CI: 0.45-0.79). In the analysis of color groups, adjusted ORs(95%CI) comparing the highest to the lowest of the vegetables and fruits intake were 0.49(0.36-0.65) for green, and 0.47(0.35-0.63) for white vegetables and fruits in men. An inverse association was also found in women for green, red/purple and white vegetables and fruits. However, in men, orange/yellow vegetables and fruits(citrus fruits, carrot, pumpkin, peach, persimmon, ginger) intake was linked to an increased risk of colorectal cancer(OR = 1.61, 95%CI: 1.22-2.12).CONCLUSION Vegetables and fruits intake from various color groups may protect against colorectal cancer.

Determination of Forechlorfenuron Residue in Fruits and Vegetables by QuEChERS Extraction and HPLC-MS/MS

[Objective] A quick extraction method of QuEChERS-HPLC-MS/MS was established to determine forechlorfenuron in fruits and vegetables. [Method] Fruits and vegetables were extracted with 0.1% acetic acid of acetonitrile solution and pu- rified by QuEChERS, and then forechlorfenuron residues were determined by HPLC- MS/MS. [Result] The limits of detection （LODs） and low determination limit （LOQ） for the forechlorfenuron was 1.0 vg/kg and 5.0 pg/kg in fruits and vegetables, re- spectively. Regression equations of these hormones had a good linear relationship （FF〉0.999） within 2.0-100.0 vg/L. The average recoveries of forechlorfenuron was in the range of 72.0-115. 0% with the coefficients of variation between 1.5% and 9.8% at the spiked levels of 10.0-500.0 μg/kg. [Conclusion] The method can be applied for the determination of the forechlorfenuron in fruits and vegetables.

Determination of Pesticides Residues in Some Fruits and Vegetables Imported to Iraq

A study was carried out in the laboratories of the National Center for Pesticides Control/State Board for Plant Protection / Ministry of Agriculture in 2010-2011. The aim was to determine the residues of some pesticides in fruits and vegetables imported to Iraq from neighboring countries （Jordan, Syria, Turkey and Iran）. Two types of fruits （apples and oranges） and two types of vegetables （tomatoes and cucumber） were selected for the purpose of this study. These fruits and vegetables are the most agricultural products imported for human consumption in Iraq. Samples were taken from different border points and from local markets. Extraction, clean up and analysis were then processed. The results indicated the presence of small amounts of residues of certain pesticides such as Deltamethrin and Abamectin and Thiamethoxam in some samples. However, these amounts were less than the limit allowed internationally. No indication was observed for the presence of other pesticides residues such as Bifenthrin Trticonazol and Imidacloprid ... etc. in the samples analyzed. Therefore, there is a need to continuity of inspection on pesticides residues in agricultural products imported to Iraq in order to prevent the entry of contaminating materials and secure human safety.