Pesticide Residues in Bee Products

Abstract

"The man has no divine right over the food. He must compete for this with weeds, diseases, insects and other organisms” (Grodner, 1996). With the above quote, Grodner clearly reflects the situation in the area production and processing of food. More than 10.000 species of insects and mites, 1.500 species of fungi and 600 plant species have been identified as harmful to agriculture (Grodner, 1996; Pimentel et al., 2000). The production of plant and animal products requires the use of large quantities of chemicals (plant protection agents, veterinary drugs, fertilizers, etc.), which could lead to increased production and improved quality, as a consequence. The quality of the final product is usually reflected to particular visual parameters like color, size and general appearance. In the case of food, however, many questions are raising about their safety. The reason is the possible presence of chemical residues detected in the final product. Nowadays, consumer safety is a major priority for governments of developed countries and food safety is a criterion for the trading and prices on the market. Reports in media about alimentary scandals cause anxiety to consumers and turning a part of the market to organic products, which are considered free, or at least less contaminated by hazardous substances. In recent years, reports in media have grown at an alarming rate and any references to the consumer aimed at creating impressions, achieved by overemphasizing the disadvantages of chemical use and mainly problems related to environmental pollution and its impact on human health. In contrast, reports in media referring to the advantages of using chemicals are minimal to nonexistent. For example, the absence of appropriate chemical agents to combat rodents lead to the first epidemic of the bubonic plague disease and the death of 65.000.000 people. Moreover, the starvation in Ireland began due to the fungal disease Phytophthora infestans, which destroyed potatoes causing 1.000.000 deaths from 1845 to 1851 (Knutson et al., 1990). Besides health problems that preoccupied humans in the past, the economic impact on different groups of consumers will be significant in case of pesticides withdrawal. Specifically, the weekly expenses for food are expected to rise by 44% for consumers of low average income. The economies of countries with intensive agriculture will be stroke because of the decline in exports of grains and products like cotton. Finally, undesirable environmental effects are expected due to the increasing of cultivated land and the erosion problems that could be observed because of the limited growth of the root