Technologies for Pesticides Removal: Decontamination of Apples and Apple By-Products for Food Applications

Pesticides are essential for protecting crops from diseases, but their residues on fruits raise concerns about food safety and human health. They are broadly classified into systemic pesticides, which are primarily hydrophilic and penetrate plant tissues, and non-systemic pesticides, which are predominantly lipophilic and remain on the surface. These chemical properties influence their persistence in apples and determine the effectiveness of different removal strategies. Extensive research has been dedicated to develop and optimize technologies to effectively reduce pesticide residues in apples and apple-based products. Indeed, the removal of pesticides is a key factor in the sustainable valorization of apple by-products, unlocking new opportunities for their safe and functional use in food applications. This review provides an overview of the principal techniques employed for pesticide removal from apples and their by-products. After outlining the main pesticides used in apple cultivation and their mode of action, novel processing technologies and their effects on pesticides removal have been described. The relationship between pesticides properties and the efficacy of the applied technologies is also evaluated along with the advantages and disadvantages of each treatment. Finally, the review provides strategies to enhance the safety and quality of apple-derived ingredients, emphasizing their potential integration into food systems.