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Pesticides are used worldwide to protect crops by controlling insects, diseases, fungi and other pests. Protecting crops from pests gives higher yields, resulting in greater variety and availability of food at low costs. The demand by consumers for produce with good sensory quality had sustained the use of pesticides to control insects and diseases in fruits and vegetables. However, along with the benefits, there are potential effects from trace amounts of residue remaining on fruits and vegetables. Consumer groups have expressed concerns about food safety, especially from pesticide residue on (or in) produce at harvest. As a result, methods for removing or reducing pesticide residue in fresh and processed fruits and vegetables after harvest need to bel developed. Such methods could alleviate concerns about the hazard of pesticide residue to humans and to the environment. Chlorination and ozonation, the principal processes of water purification, may reduce pesticide residue in foods. The use of hydrogen peroxide has also been considered as a potential treatment method for pesticide removal. The objective of this review is to introduce several oxidizing agents and their mechanisms in reducing or eliminating pesticide residue in food materials and determine the effectiveness of different treatments.
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