Fate of triadimefon and its metabolite triadimenol in jujube samples during jujube wine and vinegar processing

•Changes in triadimefon distribution and triadimenol formation were investigated.•Triadimefon was metabolised to triadimenol during jujube beverage fermentation process.•Processing factors of triadimefon and triadimenol were estimated.•Pfs of triadimenol in jujube wine and vinegar were 1.38 and 1.13, respectively.

Chinese jujube (Zizyphus jujuba Miller) is an indigenous fruit with Chinese characteristics in China which is widely used in traditional medicines and also consumed as a food material. Chinese jujube is subjected to wide varieties of pesticides like triadimefon which are harmful to humans. In present study, the fate of triadimefon and its metabolite triadimenol during jujube wine and vinegar fermentation processing was assessed. Jujube samples collected from plants sprayed with triadimefon from field trials. The analysis of triadimefon and triadimenol residues were carried out by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) at different steps of the fermentation i.e fresh jujube, first and second jujube juice and pomace, jujube wine, and jujube vinegar. Processing factors (Pfs), which is defined as the ratio of pesticide residues in jujube sample to that in jujube wine or vinegar samples, were lower than 1 for triadimefon, indicating that food processing could reduce the pesticide level. But triadimefon was metabolised to triadimenol during this process with the Pfs of triadimenol in jujube wine and vinegar were 1.38 and 1.13, respectively, indicating that more attention is needed towards the metabolites during the processing. The study indicates the level of safety towards triadimefon in jujube beverage processing and allows the refining of the dietary risk analysis.