THE PRODUCTIVE SECTOR OF HONEY IN BRAZIL AND
THE PRESENCE OF RESIDUES AND CONTAMINANTS
ACCORDING THE PNCRC/MAPA
Feijó, L. D.; Dantas, R. M.; Da Rosa, L. M. L.; Martins, A. R. L.; Rocha, R. S.; Nunes, A. S.
The honey produced in Brazil is recognized worldwide for its unique sensory, physicochemical and
microbiological characteristics, which gives it safety, quality and guaranteed presence at the table of
the most demanding consumers in Brazil, also conferring prominent position in the global agribusiness.
Figure 4. Brazil – PNCRC Honey Analytical Methods and Quantification Limits
CHEMICAL GROUP
The presence of veterinary products residues in honey may compromise its marketing, consumer
health and cause damage throughout the production chain, being primordial the official control and
monitoring to ensure the guarantee of food safety. The production in native areas, the presence of
Africanized bees and the low prevalence of diseases in the hives, incur practically no use of veterinary
products. To this end, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA) established the
National Control Plan for Residues and Contaminants (PNCRC). Therefore, this study sought to
evaluate the presence of residues / contaminants at honey in Brazil, analyzing 1220 (Figure 1)
samples at different establishments registered at the Federal Inspection Service - SIF, from official data
from PNCRC in the period from 2006 to 2010, not being detected in any of the samples the presence
of residues / contaminants above established safety levels.
Antimicrobial
Figure 1. Number of Analysis per Analyte from 2006-2010 in the PNCRC
TYLOSIN
99
SULFONAMIDES
150
ORGANOPHOSPHORUS
NITROFURANS
141
129
124
STREPTOMYCIN
ERYTHROMYCIN
DOXICICLIN
239
240
CHLORAMPHENICOL
145
159
135
ORGANOCHLORINE
CARBAMATES
ANTIBIOTICS
Halogen Compounds
and Organochlorides
310
INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS
240
Carbamates
SOURCE: DWSISRES SYSTEM / MAPA
The samplings for the PNCRC are done in the honey collection and processing plants registered under
the Federal Inspection Service – SIF. All the honey collection and processing plants are submitted to a
process of random lottery for choosing the establishments in which the samples will be collected.
Pyrethroids
Once the PNCRC follows the recommendations from Codex Alimentarius, according to CAC/GL 712009 - Guidelines for the design and implementation of national regulatory food safety assurance
programme associated with the use of veterinary drugs in food producing animals. With the objective of
monitoring the presence veterinary products and contaminants, the PNCRC/honey advocates the
collection of 250 ml of honey, which are collected according to the PNCRC/Sample Collection Manual,
as seen in the Figure 2, where it is oriented that the honey should be a packed in a fist-use plastic bag,
closed and sealed, and then dispatched in a box to one of the laboratories from the Official Laboratories
Network, all of them accredited with the ISO 17025, therefore in accordance to international standards
for laboratory quality and using state of the art analytical methods for residues and contaminants
analysis (Figure 4).
Figure 2. Collection Identification and Sealing of Samples
Organophosphorates
Inorganic Contaminants
ANALYTE
Chlortetracycline
Oxytetracycline
Tetracycline
Doxycycline
Sulfathiazole
Sulfamethazine
Sulfadimethoxine
Nitrofurazone - SEM
Furazolidone - AOZ
Furaltadone - AMOZ
Nitrofurantoin - AHD
Chloramphenicol
Tylosin
Erithromycin
Streptomycin
Aldrin
Alpha-endosulfan
4,4-DDE
4,4-DDD
4,4 DDT
Dodecachlor
Endrin
Tetradifon
Lindane
Vinclozolin
Heptachlor
Alpha-HCH
Beta-HCH
Carbofuran
Carbaryl
Permethrin
Cyfluthrin
Fenpropathrin
Deltamethrin
Amitraz
Chlorpyrifos
Dimethoate
Disulfoton
Parathion
Fenamiphos
Terbuphos
Prophenophos
Arsenic (As)
Cadmium (Cd)
Lead (Pb)
ANANLITYCAL
METHOD
HPLV/UV
LC MS/MS
LC-MS/MS
LC-MS/MS
GC-MSD
ICP-MS
QUANTIFICATION
LIMIT (µg/kg)
7,46
3,63
2,91
4,01
3
4
5
0,5
0,5
0,5
0,5
0.1
0,59
1,93
4,77
10
10
10
10
10
10
10
20
10
20
10
10
10
50
20
20
20
10
20
10
20
20
10
20
10
10
20
23
35
67
SOURCE: CCRC/SDA
Considering the quality of Brazilian honey and the demands of the importing markets, the PNCRC is
the tool that ensures the safety of honey in terms of presence of residues of veterinary products,
pesticides and inorganic contaminants. The procedures for collection and analysis of samples of the
PNCRC are internationally accepted as being in accordance with the recommendations of Codex
Alimentarius and safety requirements of the importing markets.
The constant increase of Brazilian honey exports reflect the quality provided by the commitment of
producers and the constant monitoring of PNCRC, guaranteeing the acceptance of Brazilians
products in the most demanding markets, and opening up new destinations for exports.
SOURCE: PNCRC/MAPA SAMPLE COLLECTION MANUAL
REFERENCES:
Currently there are 179 honey collection and processing plants registered under the SIF, distributed in
several regional of the Brazilian territory, according to Figure 3. Most of the honey collection and
processing plants are localized in the Federal Units of São Paulo (SP), Minas Gerais (MG), Rio Grande
do Sul (RS), Paraná (PR), Ceará (CE) and Piauí (PI).
Figure 3. Distribuition of Honey Collection and Processing Plants under SIF inspection in
Brazil
1. BRASIL Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento. Instrução Normativa nº 6, de 25 de fevereiro
de 2011. Publicar os resultados do acompanhamento dos Programas de Controle de Resíduos e
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Equina), Leite, Ovos, Mel e Pescado do exercício de 2010. Diário Oficial [da República Federativa do
Brasil], Brasília, 25 de fevereiro de 2011.
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2010. Aprovar os Programas de Controle de Resíduos e Contaminantes em Carnes (Bovina, Aves, Suína e
Equina), Leite, Mel, Ovos e Pescado para o exercício de 2010. Diário Oficial [da República Federativa do
Brasil], Brasília, 29 de abril de 2010.
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2009. Definir os requisitos e critérios específicos para funcionamento dos Laboratórios de Análises de
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de 1999. Alterar o Plano Nacional do Controle de Resíduos em Produtos de Origem Animal . Diário Oficial
[da República Federativa do Brasil], Brasília, 20 de dezembro de 1999.
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URL:http://http://dw.agricultura.gov.br/dwsisres/seg_dwsisres.principal_dwsisres .
Discoverer
SISRES.
6. BRASIL. Ministério do Desenvolvimento, Indústria e Comércio Exterior–MDIC. Sistema de Análise das
Informações de Comércio Exterior via Internet–Alice Web . URL:http://aliceweb.desenvolvimento.gov.br/ .
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SYSTEM
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national regulatory food safety assurance programme associated with the use of veterinary drugs in food
animal
producing
animals.
CAC/GL
71,
2009.
URL:
http://www.codexalimentarius.net/web/more_info.jsp?id_sta=11252 .
8. Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística – IBGE. Sistema IBGE de recuperação automática. URL:
http://www.sidra.ibge.gov.br/
Coordination for Control of Residues and Contaminants (CCRC) of the
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA)
Esplanada dos Ministérios, Bloco D, Anexo B, Sala 448, CEP: 70043-900,
Brasilia/DF, Brazil. Phone: (+5561) 32182329 - e-mail:
[email protected]