Chemical hazards in the fruiting vegetable supply chain in the Netherlands

A literature study was performed to identify the chemical hazards that may be found in fruiting vegetables on the Dutch market. For this purpose, search terms were defined and used in Scopus and Web of Science for the period 2009-2019. Additionally, the advanced search feature of Google was used to retrieve relevant reports from EFSA, BfR, FAVV and Aecosan. Additional searches were performed on specific hazard groups in case limited number of hits were obtained or only experimental studies were retrieved. References were first evaluated on title, keywords and abstract. Those references that were seen as relevant were read in full and summarised in an Excel table that was submitted to NVWA-BuRO as additional file to this report. Long list of chemical hazards in fruiting vegetables The literature search in Scopus and Web of Science resulted in 350 hits of which 88 were seen as relevant. The Google search resulted in 17 relevant reports and the additional literature search resulted in 16 papers. The literature search showed that the most frequently mentioned fruiting vegetables were tomato, pepper and cucumber. Based on the information obtained, the following hazard groups were found to be present in fruiting vegetables: heavy metals and other elements, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pharmaceuticals, dioxins and dl-PCBs, perfluorinated compounds, radionuclides, plant protection products (PPPs), mycotoxins, plant toxins, cleaning agents and disinfectants, and other chemical hazards such as phthalates, perchlorate and nitrate. These hazards were included in the so-called long list: chemical hazards that might be present in fruiting vegetables. Intermediate list of chemical hazards in fruiting vegetables Those chemical hazards that were found above legal limits, frequently encountered in fruiting vegetables or that led to an exceedance of a health-based guidance value (HBGV) were included on the so-called intermediate list. The heavy metals cadmium and lead were included on this list, since exceedances above the EU maximum limits (MLs) were found. A total of 54 PPPs were included on the list since these were either frequently found in fruiting vegetables or found at levels exceeding the EU maximum residue limits (MRLs). This list is solely identified based on the obtained literature. It is recommended to consult the Dutch monitoring data to confirm the relevance of the identified PPPs for the Netherlands. Total aflatoxins and aflatoxin B1 were included on the list since levels above the EU ML were found in pepper. The Alternaria toxins, tenuazonic acid and tentoxin were added since tomatoes were seen as the main contributors to the dietary intake of these toxins. The disinfectant didecyldimethylammonium chloride (DDAC) was added to the list since levels above the EU MRL were found in fruiting vegetables. Perchlorate levels in fruiting vegetables resulted in an exceedance of the provisional maximum tolerable daily intake (PMTDI) and thus this substance was also included on the list. Since high nitrate levels (up to 5665 mg/kg) were occasionally found in pumpkin, this substance was also added to the list. Several knowledge gaps were identified. PAH8 were seen as knowledge gap since high levels (>5 μg/kg) were found in fruiting vegetables but no information was found for fruiting vegetables on the Dutch market. Benzalkonium chloride (BAC) was identified as knowledge gap, since levels above the EU MRL were found in the group of Solanaceae. However, it is unclear whether these levels were found in potatoes or fruiting vegetables. Finally, chlorate was seen as knowledge gap, since the contribution of fruiting vegetables to the dietary intake of this substance was unknown. Evaluation of trends in fruiting vegetables In an earlier report, the general trends in vegetables were described (Banach et al., 2019). A Google search was done to collect information on future trends specifically related to fruiting vegetables. In general, a relevant trend for vegetable cultivation is the interest in the use of treated wastewater and sludge in open field cultivation, which may lead to the presence of e.g. pharmaceuticals in fruiting vegetables. Another relevant trend is the increased interest in the use of waste streams to produce new products or packaging materials. Chemical hazards present in these waste streams may end up in the final product.