Evaluation of some agricultural products grown in Manisa in terms of pesticide residues

The source of all food is plant production; the feed necessary for animal production also comes from plant-based sources. Therefore, plant health and sustainable agriculture are of great importance. Plant health not only reduces losses in primary production but also prevents the occurrence of situations that can be harmful to human health, such as insect infestation, bacterial or fungal-induced mold, and toxin development in the food stage, thus ensuring food safety. This thesis aims to evaluate the samples taken for pesticide control of products like grapes, vine leaves, tomatoes, spinach, strawberries, and cherries, which are extensively cultivated in the Manisa province 2016 and 2023. This thesis assessed the effects of pesticide residue levels on food safety and human health by looking at 1742 analysis findings on the most heavily produced grape, vine leaf, tomato, spinach, strawberry, and cherry products. 44.83% of the items had residues of at least one active substance, out of the 681 pesticide active substances that were scanned in the products. The percentage of unlicensed active substances ranged from 1% to 49.33%, while the rate of banned active substances ranged from 6.17% to 23.5%, according to an evaluation of the permit status for each product. According to the assessments, the possibility of multiple pesticide residues was identified as the main issue facing Manisa Province. However, the limit average of consumers' daily exposure to pesticides was determined to not be harmful to human health based on calculations that took into account the quantity of food products consumed.