Gwangyang agricultural technology center earns international recognition for pesticide analysis for 4th consecutive year

International credibility in residual pesticide analysis confirmed for 4 consecutive years

The Gwangyang City Agricultural Technology Center has been recognized for its pesticide residue analysis capabilities at the Food and Environment Research Agency Proficiency Testing Scheme (FAPAS), an international comparative proficiency evaluation organized by the United Kingdom's Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA).

FAPAS assesses the accuracy of analytical institutions worldwide across fields including pesticide residues, soil, heavy metals and microorganisms. Gwangyang has been selected for the fourth consecutive year.

This year's evaluation involved 59 analytical institutions from around the world. Each institution's analytical capability was assessed using Z-scores calculated from the results of analyzing identical samples — in this case, a carrot puree.

A Z-score within ±2 is considered indicative of reliable analytical capability. Gwangyang's agricultural product safety analysis laboratory received a "satisfactory" rating for all 12 pesticide components tested.

Building on this result, the city is strengthening agricultural product safety management by adding bifenazate-diazene — a metabolite of the miticide bifenazate — to its list of residual pesticide analysis items, in line with a partial revision of analysis methods set by the National Agricultural Products Quality Management Service.

Alongside this, as cases of non-compliant pesticide residues have increased, the city is conducting residual pesticide testing covering 463 types of pesticides for Gwangyang farmers who supply local food outlets.

The testing targets agricultural products grown by farmers with both their registered address and farmland in Gwangyang. Farmers can submit a sample (0.5 to 1 kilogram) along with a farm business registration certificate to the agricultural product safety analysis laboratory, located on the third floor of the Science Farming Building at 177 Seocheonbyeon-ro, Gwangyang-eup, Gwangyang.

The analysis fee is 34,800 won ($23) for Gwangyang-area farmers, while those supplying local food outlets may use the service free of charge.

"Based on our internationally recognized analytical capabilities, we will conduct residual pesticide testing to ensure that agricultural products verified for safety — not just taste — are produced and distributed," said Lee Eun-hee, head of the city's technology dissemination division.

For further information, contact the Gwangyang City Agricultural Product Safety Analysis Laboratory at 061-797-3638.