ABSTRACT
Several hundred pesticides of different chemical nature are widely applied to crops throughout the world. These pesticides provide unquestionable benets for increasing crop productivity and improving product quality. The use of pesticides may lead to traces of residues in food. Therefore, public concern about the contamination of food by pesticides has been increasing over the past few years due to the uncertainty about the adverse effect of these residues that may pose over a long-time exposure. Most pesticides are toxic to human beings; WHO (World Health Organization) has classied their toxic effects from class Ia (extremely hazardous) to class III (slightly hazardous) (Table 6.1) and then to active ingredients unlikely to prevent an acute hazard (WHO 2004). In recent years, potential health risks from pesticides and other organic pollutant residues in foodstuffs have become a main public concern.
