Shine Muscat grapes a health threat or an alarm for local food consumption?
Recently, the Shine Muscat grape from China has become the headline news on various news channels due to the discovery of excessive pesticide residues in this type of grape circulating in Thailand. The Thai government itself mentioned that 23 out of 24 samples of this grape contained pesticide residues above the tolerable threshold under Thailand’s food trade regulations. This triggered public unrest in various countries, including Indonesia.
According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, imports of fruits from China until mid-2024 reached 458,257.4 tons. This includes the Shine Muscat grape. This type of grape is popular among the middle class, because it tastes sweet, has no seeds, and has good aesthetic value with a shiny green color. In addition, this type of grape is also a source of Vitamin C which contains a lot of potassium, calcium and also mangaan which is important for the development of bones and teeth.
However, the successful production of high-value fruits and vegetables is inseparable from the use of pesticides. This has led to an increase in the use of pesticides on farms, which contributes to the presence of hazardous chemical residues in soil, water, air, as well as on the surface of plants, fruits and vegetables. The activity of broad-spectrum biocides poses potential risks to consumers, both in terms of health and the environment. Long-term exposure to low doses of pesticides can cause chronic diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, reproductive disorders, respiratory disorders, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, congenital abnormalities, and death.
According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), grapes are included in the “dirty dozen” list along with strawberries, spinach, kale and peaches, which make up the top five most pesticide-contaminated fruits and vegetables. Therefore, proper post-harvest management is needed to reduce pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables that are directly consumed by the public.
In general, pesticides are sprayed on the fruit and accumulate on the outer skin or cuticle layer. The pesticide can be absorbed by the plant surface (waxy cuticle and also the root surface) and then enter the plant’s transportation system (systemic) to protect the plant from pests that penetrate its outer skin. Other contact pesticides will remain on the plant surface without entering the plant systemically.
When looking at the characteristics of pesticide residues that accumulate on the fruit skin, there are three categories of ways to reduce or eliminate peticide residues, namely: household treatment, chemical treatment, and modern techniques.
- Simple home treatments can be done through washing, peeling, and the blansir method. Proper washing techniques using running water can remove up to 88% of certain types of pesticides such as imidacloprid and chlorpyrifos, but is less effective for other types, with only about 11-23% reduction. Peeling is a very effective way to remove pesticides, especially from the skin of produce such as potatoes, oranges, apples, peaches and tomatoes, with up to 75% reduction or even complete removal in some cases. Blanching, a process that involves mild heating with warm water followed by cooling, can remove pesticide residues by 22-46%.In some cases, this method can decontaminate almost 100% of certain pesticides from vegetables such as sweet peppers and eggplants.
- Based on many studies, chemical treatments can decontaminate pesticides on the surface of fruits and vegetables. The chemicals in question are salt (NaCl), acetic acid or vinegar (CH3COOH), chlorine dioxide or disinfectant (ClO2), chlorine solution, and other chemicals listed as foodgrade chemicals. In addition, pesticide residues can also be removed using garlic solution and soda-salt solution (Yu-shan et al, 2013). Generally, fruits and vegetables are soaked in a chemical solution of a certain concentration for about 10-30 minutes depending on the thickness of the skin. Then they are rinsed off using running water.
- Various modern techniques have been reported to decontaminate chemical pesticide residues. Modern techniques include the use of gamma rays which can remove Diazinon, Chlorpyrifos, Phosphamido, on tomatoes and cucumbers by 95%. The use of ultrasound technology on strawberries can reduce pesticide residues by 91%. In addition, the use of Electrolyzed reducing (ER) water treatment and Electrolyzed oxidizing (EO) water treatment is also proven to be able to remove pesticide residues up to 85-91%.
Each of the above methods has effectiveness that depends on the type of pesticide, the food product being treated, and the conditions applied.
To date, the National Food Agency has stated that the results of sampling conducted in 2023 and 2024, show that Shine Muscat wine in circulation has been granted a distribution license with pesticide residue contaminant numbers below the BMR (Maximum Residue Limit) threshold and declared safe. Nevertheless, consumers and the public must still be selective and implement Clean and Healthy Living Behavior (PHBS) by always washing fruits and vegetables before direct consumption. This issue is an important reminder to increase public awareness about food safety, and encourage the consumption of local Indonesian products that are more environmentally friendly and of course the nutritional value is not inferior to imported food products.
Author: Dinar Mindrati Fardhani, S.P., M.Biotech, Ph.D (Lecturer in Biotechnology at UNISA Yogyakarta )
Tags: aisyiyah, anggur muscat, banggamenjadiunisa, beunisa, unisayogya
