P28 | Multiresidue analysis of pesticides in snail-based food products using LC-MS/MS and GC-MS/MS

Alongside traditional protein sources, alternatives of animal origin (insects, terrestrial gastropods) and plant origin (algae, processed legumes) are emerging. Changes in eating habits necessitate an update of knowledge about the safety and quality of these products, involving operators and authorities to protect the consumer. The objective of the study was to evaluate the chemical safety of snail-based food preparations, introduced as new products on the market. Specifically, the investigation focused on the search for environmental contaminants such as pesticides. The samples, consisting of twenty different snail-based food preparations, were analyzed in pools and subjected to preliminary operations (thawing, optional shell removal, and grinding). They were extracted using the QuEChERS method, followed by purification with d-SPE EMR Lipid. The extract was analyzed using both gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) and liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to ensure a wide range of analytes were covered. The analyzes conducted revealed the presence of various pesticide residues at concentrations well below the maximum residue limits (MRLs) established by current regulations (EC Regulation 396/2005, with reference to terrestrial invertebrates). Specifically, in pool 1 (containing snails in sauce, sautéed snails, sautéed snails in a bucket, natural snails), six compounds were detected, including the fungicides Mepanipyrim (0.019 mg/kg) and Difeconazole (0.006 mg/kg), all below their respective MRLs (0.01 mg/kg and 0.02 mg/kg) when the 50% uncertainty is subtracted as indicated in Regulation (EC) 396/2005. Pool 2 (containing snails in their natural state, snail pulp in its natural state, snail pâté, snails with leeks, snail salad) showed the presence of four substances, including Thiabendazole (0.003 mg/kg), with values close to the limit of quantification (LOQ) of the methods. In pool 3 (containing Burgundy snails, Burgundy snails in a bucket, snail arancini, breaded snails, snails with potatoes and olives), only Acetamiprid (0.001 mg/kg) was detected, while pool 4 (containing rigatoni with sauce, snail pulp with sauce, snail ragout, snails with mushrooms, snails alla puttanesca) showed the presence of four residues, including Fluopyram (0.002 mg/kg) and Thiabendazole (0.003 mg/kg), both below their respective LOQs and MRLs. In conclusion, all the samples analyzed were found to comply with European regulations regarding pesticide residues. However, further studies are needed to assess other potential chemical and microbiological risks associated with this matrix and its food preparations, which have been little explored by scientific literature.