CHAPTER 36: Pesticide Residues

Pesticides are substances frequently used in coffee production to control pests such as insects, weeds, bacteria, mold and fungus. It has been known for some time that pesticide residues can remain in the different environmental compartments, coffee beans included. Pesticide residues in coffee can represent an important route of human exposure to these toxic compounds, particularly in countries with high levels of consumption. Notwithstanding all this knowledge and the regulatory limits established for the pesticides used in coffee production, several factors such as cultivation procedures, coffee processing and consumption habits are generally overlooked. A diversity of analytical methods, some more environmentally friendly than others, are available to determine accurately even the smallest amounts of pesticide residues and their metabolites in raw and roasted coffee samples. The present chapter will highlight the main issues concerning pesticide residues in the coffee, alongside a special emphasis on chemical characteristics, analytical approaches and actual status of coffee contamination.