A new study investigates the effect of imidacloprid, a common insecticide, on wine aroma and its transformation during the wine-making process. Imidacloprid is widely used in grape cultivation to control pests, but its residues can significantly impact the quality of wine.
The research involved applying imidacloprid to grapes at standard and ten times the standard doses. It was found that a significant portion of the imidacloprid degraded from grape to wine, with only about 5.79% to 8.95% transferring into the wine. However, the degradation of imidacloprid during the wine-making process revealed subsequent metabolites such as 6-chloronicotinic acid, desnitro imidacloprid and imidacloprid-urea.
These imidacloprid residues affected the flavour of the wine, altering compounds such as acids, esters and alcohols. Certain volatile compounds were identified as markers for the presence of imidacloprid in wine.
This confirms pesticide residues impact wine quality. It was observed that pesticide residues can alter wine microflora during fermentation, influencing the wine’s aroma and flavour. Interestingly, the paper also discusses the challenges in authenticating organic wines and suggests using metabolites from pesticides as biomarkers.
