Application Note: Extraction of Pesticides from Spices Utilizing a Rapid and Automated Alternative to QuEChERS

The QuEChERS method has been shown to be practical for pesticide clean up and extraction on a number of different sample types and is increasingly being used on more difficult matrices. Unfortunately, this process is a manual, multi-step process that can be time consuming and yield variable results.

With so many different types of food matrices and pesticide residues to be analyzed, there is a need for a faster, simpler extraction method. Furthermore, some matrices, either by their nature or their economic value, can be difficult to extract with just the QuEChERS method alone. Spices are among these difficult matrices, due to the dehydrated state in which they are received. The EDGE® provides a valuable alternative to the QuEChERS method for the extraction of pesticides from spices. With its patent pending Q-Cup Technology™, the EDGE can extract pesticide residues from spices in less than 7 min, in one automated step.