The present study was the first large-scale attempt to characterize the contamination due to pesticides in a staple food such as tomato in Colombia. Nevertheless, the set of pesticides analyzed did not cover the full spectrum of active ingredients available in the market. Future studies must consider the wealth of pesticides applied by growers.
Despite the relatively low risk to pesticides due to tomato consumption, the high number of positive detections indicates the need to continue with monitoring studies. The results presented here are not an indicative of being in an optimum situation; on the contrary, it should increase awareness of local authorities to establish a fully functional monitoring program.