A Comprehensive Analysis of the Fates of Pesticide Residues in Edible Agricultural Products during Food Processing

The widespread use of pesticides in agriculture ensures crop productivity but poses significant risks to human health through residual contamination in edible products. Although food processing can mitigate pesticide residues, the efficiency of different methods varies substantially depending on pesticide physicochemical properties and commodity-specific processing steps. This review systematically evaluates the degradation patterns of pesticide residues during the processing of grains, fruits, vegetables, tea, meat, dairy, and herbal medicines. Key findings reveal that thermal treatments like boiling and baking effectively degrade pesticides with low log K_ow (more hydrophilic) or high volatility, while mechanical methods like washing and peeling preferentially remove nonsystemic residues. However, certain processes, such as drying or oil extraction, may concentrate residues, particularly for lipophilic compounds. Emerging nonthermal technologies like ultrasonication, ozonation, and gamma irradiation show promise in addressing combined toxic effects and enantioselective degradation of chiral pesticides. We highlight the urgent need for standardized processing factors and maximum residue limits tailored to processed foods, emphasizing the role of integrated processing strategies in minimizing dietary exposure. This work provides critical insights for optimizing food safety protocols and guiding regulatory frameworks.