Pesticide Residue and Heavy Metal Risks Found to Be at Safe Levels
A research paper studying the safety of fermented alcoholic beverages distributed in the Ulsan region has been published in an academic journal, sharing its research findings.
The Ulsan Institute of Health and Environment announced on the 18th that the research paper titled "Survey on Residual Pesticides and Heavy Metals in Fermented Alcoholic Beverages Distributed in Ulsan" conducted last year has been published in Volume 39, Issue 3 of the Journal of the Korean Society of Food Hygiene and Safety.
This paper contains the results of analyzing 400 types of residual pesticides and heavy metals (lead, cadmium, mercury) in fermented alcoholic beverages distributed in Ulsan last year, as well as an assessment of their potential risks.
The fermented alcoholic beverages studied in the paper included a total of 150 samples: 60 wines, 60 beers, and 30 Makgeolli.
Among the 150 samples, residual pesticides were detected in 102 cases (68.0%). The detection rates were 90.0% for wine, 61.7% for beer, and 36.7% for Makgeolli.
Despite the high detection rates, the risk assessment for residual pesticides was less than 1% (considered safe if below 100%), indicating a "very safe level."
For heavy metals, lead showed the highest detection rate at 48.7%, followed by mercury at 24% and cadmium at 6.0%. However, the risk assessment for all three items was also very low, at less than 1%.
Kim Heejung, the researcher who led this study, said, "Fermented alcoholic beverages made from fruits and grains use agricultural products as ingredients, but there are no established standards for managing residual pesticides and heavy metals. This prompted us to start this research," adding, "We hope that the results of this study will serve as basic data for managing the safety of fermented alcoholic beverages made from fruits and grains."
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