The effect of intensive chemical plant protection on the quality of spice paprika

The effects of pesticide treatments of red pepper cultivation on spice paprika product quality were assessed in a cultivation modelling experiment using a mixture of three recommended insecticides (pirimicarb, chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin) and a fungicide (penconazole). An intensively cultivated red pepper field was treated 1–3 times with pesticide premixes at different dosages, and the harvested and processed red pepper was sampled and analysed for pesticide residues and bioactive component content. Pesticide levels in red pepper and spice paprika correlated well with the doses applied and the number of treatments. Residue levels of chlorpyrifos, cypermethrin and penconazole ranged between 0.125–1.75, 0–0.339 and 0–0.763 μg/g, respectively, while pirimicarb was found at limit of detection. Pesticide treatments affected the content of bioactive components: decreases in the levels of carotenoids (up to 16%) and tocopherols (up to 13%) correlated with the number and dosages of pesticide treatments. Reductions in the level of red but no changes in the yellow pigments were seen. Pesticide residue levels showed similar trends throughout processing; only 2.8-fold and 5.9-fold lower in post-ripened and raw red pepper fruit, correlating with the composition of these matrices and the loss in water content during processing. These results showed the stability of the residues during processing.