Deterministic and Probabilistic Assessment of Dietary Exposure to Pesticide Residues in Sweet Italian-Type and Jalapeño Peppers From Türkiye for the Adult Population

Pesticide residue contamination in peppers is a food safety concern due to intensive production practices and frequent consumption. In this study, 182 sweet Italian-type and jalapeño pepper samples collected in Türkiye were analyzed for 260 pesticide residues using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Residues were detected in 52.6% of sweet Italian-type and 48.1% of jalapeño samples, with European Union maximum residue level exceedances of 15.8 and 5.7% of all samples, respectively. Deterministic and probabilistic assessments indicated that cumulative chronic dietary exposure remained well below safety thresholds for adults. Monte Carlo simulations consistently identified lambda-cyhalothrin and acetamiprid as the dominant contributors to chronic exposure. Acute risk was generally low; however, high-end exposure scenarios indicated a potential concern associated with lambda-cyhalothrin in jalapeño peppers.