Abstract
Food safety has a substantial aspect of food production for quality assurance as well as public health concern. Farmers using pesticides to fulfil public needs with limited resources and lands. In this limelight, as the pesticides have numeral benefits but cause severe health hazards. Grape samples collected from the different markets of ten cities of Punjab Province and subjected to HPLC for pesticide residues analysis with maximum residual limit (MRLs) assessment. The results showed that grape samples from Faisalabad, Multan and Sahiwal were contaminated with the residues of Chlorothalonil. Samples procured from Lahore and Hafizabad were sprayed with acetamiprid. Meanwhile, Lufenuron residues were determined from grape samples secured from markets of Okara, Lahore and Hafizabad. Samples collected from Okara, Multan and Sahiwal were found contaminated with residues of indoxacarb. Besides, residues of Beta-endosulfan were analyzed from grape samples of Faisalabad and Multan. Almost all samples were contaminated with pesticides residues and pesticides were not applied wisely as suggested by maximum residual limits (MRLs) and good agricultural practices (GAPs). Farmers are not much aware of the threats of pesticide residues on human health due to lack of education and extension work.