الفهرس 
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Abstract
Food processing is not only used for food preparation but also, considered to be the best method for pesticide removal especially from vegetables and fruits. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of boiling, washing followed by boiling, pickling, and keeping up with the sugar on removal of pesticide residues from selected vegetables and fruits (tomato, cucumber, eggplant, zucchini, cauliflower, okra, pepper, apple, strawberry, grapes, and guava) obtained from local markets of Alexandria, Egypt. The tested vegetables and fruits were treated with 4 different pesticides (lambdacyhalothrin, malathion, chlorpyrifos, and cypermethrin) for 2 days and processed then, analyzed. Boiling for 20 minutes was responsible for reduction of lambdacyhalothrin in vegetables at ranges of 43 - 77% and for fruit by 60 to 64%. Malathion levels were reduced in vegetables to 65 - 84% and from fruits by 75 to 80%. Removal percentage of chlorpyrifos was at range of 67 - 88% for vegetable and 79 to 83% from fruits, and cypermethrin was 39 to 50% from vegetables and 42 to 61% for fruits. Boiling followed by washing of vegetables and fruits reduce the pesticide residue levels more than by boiling alone about 77-95% in vegetables and 89-90% in fruits for lambdacyhalothrin, 90-100% in vegetables and 97-99 % in fruits for malathion, 91-99% in vegetables and 90-93% in fruits for chlorpyrifos and by 78-90% in vegetables,86-91% in fruits for cypermethrin. Vegetables pickling reduced lambdacyhalothrin levels by 39 to 51%, malathion (60 - 95%), chlorpyrifos (56 - 93%), cypermethrin (19 - 41%). Fruit processing by adding sugar reduce lambdacyhalothrin levels by 35 to 42%, malathion 35 to 67%, chlorpyrifos; 32 to 86%, and cypermethrin; 31 to 58%. Although there were some exceptions, the variation of the 4 pesticide residue levels from the tested vegetables where significantly differ from each other; the highest residue remaining levels was showed for cauliflower and the lowest in eggplant. However, the variation of the pesticide residue levels between the processed fruits where generally not significant. The results suggest that a combination of washing followed by boiling is fast and simple processes that can significantly remove of lambdacyhalothrin, malathion, chlorpyrifos, and cypermethrin from vegetables and fruits.
The study shows that the levels of pesticide residues applied on vegetables and fruits are removed at different percentages during the processes of these crops from the field to the table and reach mostly to their acceptable levels.
The study recommends that the pre-harvest interval (PHI) must be followed-up to keep residual levels of the applied pesticides below their maximum allowable limits. Moreover, great efforts to reduce potential health risks from chemicals should be implemented