Pesticides and brewing materials - reasons, regulations and residues.

Theaker, P.D., Clarke, B.J., Currie, B.R. and Gough, A.J.

Abstract
Increasing concern over possible dangers to human health and/or the natural environment resulting from the excessive or otherwise inappropriate use of chemical pesticides has led to increasingly strict and detailed legislation in many countries. A particular cause for concern is the potential health hazard from foodstuffs and beverages containing residues of pesticides applied to the raw materials from which they were made, a problem which has afflicted the brewing industry in several countries. The authors list a large number of pests and diseases afflicting barley and hops, stating that those named are only the more important ones. Summaries are given of the regulatory procedures used by the authorities in the UK, the European Community, the USA, Canada and Australia. Tables listing the major fungicides and insecticides applied to barley and hops give the maximum residue levels considered acceptable and identify the governments and international bodies by whom the pesticides are approved for use. In some countries industrial bodies or individual companies have taken action against pesticides thought to cause problems. In particular, multinational corporations such as the Elders Brewing Group have established their own research facilities for the study of pesticide related problems. The paper concludes with a brief survey of alternative methods of pest control (breeding crops for resistance, the use of diseases and predators against insects and mites, pest hostile physical environments for post harvest storage, etc.,) which could reduce or even eliminate the need for chemical pesticides.
Keywords : analysis barley beer brewing industry disease health hops legislation pest pesticide quality residue safety survey