EVALUATION OF HERBICIDE MIGRATION FROM WATER TO GORGONZOLA AND MOZZARELLA CHEESES IN INDUSTRIAL PROCESSING

The possibility of migration of atrazine, simazine, terbuthylazine, mo linate and bentazon herbicides from contaminated water used in the man ufacture of gorgonzola and mozzarella cheeses was verified in an indus trial plant in an agricultural area in northern Italy. In a milk-proce ssing plant, water samples were drawn from five wells; samples of milk , curd and finished products were collected from the respective produc tion lines. In all samples, the herbicide residues were detected by ga s chromatographic analysis. The results show that herbicide residues d etected in water were not found in the finished products even if resid ues were found in the intermediate products (curd).