Reduction in phosalone residue levels during industrial dehydration of apples.

Dehydrated fruits and vegetables, which may well be used in baby foods, must be of excellent bacteriological quality with an absence of contamination. In order to define the effects of the industrial dehydration process, according to the 'Hatmacker' drying method, on an organophosphorus pesticide, we have studied phosalone in Golden Delicious apples as an example. The technological process undertaken leads to a reduction in phosalone levels on the apples of more than 80%, whatever the initial dose between 0 and 4.