Monitoring of pesticide residues in tomato marketed in Bogota, Colombia

- A large scale sampling described the tomato pesticide residues in Bogota, Colombia.
- 24 pesticides were quantified through a multiresidue method analysis.
- Only one sample containing carbendazim exceeded the maximum residue limit.
- Tomato consumption in Bogota does not represent a risk to human health.

Worldwide, the presence of pesticide residues in vegetables has been extensively characterized. In Colombia, tomato is among the most consumed horticultural commodities; however, the presence of pesticide residues in tomato has not been determined. Through an extensive sampling in Bogota, we assessed the presence of 24 pesticides in fresh tomatoes. Only one sample containing carbendazim exceeded the Maximum Residue Limit. At least one pesticide was detected in 70.5% of the samples and the most detected were pyrimethanil, carbendazim, dimethomorph and acephate. The results showed that tomato consumption in Bogota does not represent a risk to human health. Nevertheless, a monitoring program must be established to control the contamination of staple foods, such as tomato.