Fate of pesticides during beer brewing

J Agric Food Chem. 2011 Apr 27;59(8):3857-68. doi: 10.1021/jf104421q. Epub 2011 Mar 14.

Abstract

The fates of more than 300 pesticide residues were investigated in the course of beer brewing. Ground malt artificially contaminated with pesticides was brewed via steps such as mashing, boiling, and fermentation. Analytical samples were taken from wort, spent grain, and beer produced at certain key points in the brewing process. The samples were extracted and purified with the QuEChERS (Quick Easy Cheap Effective Rugged and Safe) method and were then analyzed by LC-MS/MS using a multiresidue method. In the results, a majority of pesticides showed a reduction in the unhopped wort and were adsorbed onto the spent grain after mashing. In addition, some pesticides diminished during the boiling and fermentation. This suggests that the reduction was caused mainly by adsorption, pyrolysis, and hydrolysis. After the entire process of brewing, the risks of contaminating beer with pesticides were reduced remarkably, and only a few pesticides remained without being removed or resolved.

Publication types

  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Adsorption
  • Beer*
  • Chromatography, Liquid
  • Cooking*
  • Humulus / chemistry
  • Hydrolysis
  • Pesticides / analysis*
  • Pesticides / chemistry
  • Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Substances

  • Pesticides