Effect of sampling size on the determination of accurate pesticide residue levels in Japanese agricultural commodities.

The uncertainty in pesticide residue levels (UPRL) associated with sampling size was estimated using individual acetamiprid and cypermethrin residue data from preharvested apple, broccoli, cabbage, grape, and sweet pepper samples. The relative standard deviation from the mean of each sampling size (n = 2(x), where x = 1-6) of randomly selected samples was defined as the UPRL for each sampling size. The estimated UPRLs, which were calculated on the basis of the regulatory sampling size recommended by the OECD Guidelines on Crop Field Trials (weights from 1 to 5 kg, and commodity unit numbers from 12 to 24), ranged from 2.1% for cypermethrin in sweet peppers to 14.6% for cypermethrin in cabbage samples. The percentages of commodity exceeding the maximum residue limits (MRLs) specified by the Japanese Food Sanitation Law may be predicted from the equation derived from this study, which was based on samples of various size ranges with mean residue levels below the MRL. The estimated UPRLs have confirmed that sufficient sampling weight and numbers are required for analysis and/or re-examination of subsamples to provide accurate values of pesticide residue levels for the enforcement of MRLs. The equation derived from the present study would aid the estimation of more accurate residue levels even from small sampling sizes.