Pesticide Residues in Egyptian Olives: Prevalence, Compliance with MRLs, Co-occurrence, and Implications for Consumer Health

Pesticide residues in olives are a significant concern for consumer safety. This study investigated the presence of 430 pesticide residues in 1,104 olive samples from Egyptian markets using GC-MS/MS and LC-MS/MS. While 55.07% of samples had no detectable residues and 39.13% had residues at or below MRLs, 5.8% exceeded MRLs. Lambda-cyhalothrin, cypermethrin, and chlorpyrifos were the most frequently detected pesticides in 17.57%, 16.12%, and 12.59% of the samples at mean residue levels of 0.019 mg/kg, 0.015 mg/kg, and 0.011 mg/kg, respectively. Of the contaminated samples, 25.27% contained a single pesticide residue, while 19.66% contained multiple residues. Two pesticide residues were found in 11.68% of samples, 3 in 4.53%, 4 in 2.08%, and 5 in 0.82%. The most prevalent pair of co-occurring pesticides was lambda-cyhalothrin and cypermethrin, found in 52 samples. Among three-compound combinations, lambda-cyhalothrin, cypermethrin, and chlorpyrifos were the most common, appearing in 15 samples. Based on the EFSA PRIMo 3.1 model, the chronic risk assessment indicates no health risk to diverse consumer populations from pesticide residues in the analyzed olives. These findings underscore the need for stricter regulations and monitoring of pesticide use in olive production to ensure consumer safety.