Validated analytical workflow facilitates routine determination of pesticides in food samples

The Thermo Scientific Pesticide Explorer workflow.

A new workflow has been designed to provide a validated analytical method combining advanced high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (MS) capabilities for the reliable and sensitive quantitation of pesticides in complex sample matrices. This is designed to help food testing laboratories more efficiently comply with global regulatory requirements.

The Thermo Scientific Pesticide Explorer workflow is a comprehensive analytical solution that brings together the sample preparation, hardware and software capabilities required by food testing laboratories for the targeted analysis of multi-class pesticides.

Easily configured to meet the needs of individual laboratories, the Pesticide Explorer workflow is designed to improve productivity throughout the preparation, separation, detection and analysis of pesticides in challenging food samples.

The robust workflow consists of the Thermo Scientific Vanquish Flex Binary UHPLC System with the Thermo Scientific TSQ Quantis Triple Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer; verified consumables, such as the Thermo Scientific HyperSep Dispersive SPE Mylar Pouches (QuEChERS) and Thermo Scientific Accucore aQ C18 Endcapped LC columns; and analytical software solutions, including Thermo Scientific TraceFinder and Thermo Scientific Chromeleon Chromatography Data System (CDS) software.

Thermo Fisher Scientific is showcasing the new analytical workflow during the 2019 Annual Meeting & Exposition of the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists (AOAC 2019), held on 6-12 September at Booth #409 at the Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel, Denver.

“As a leader in providing analytical services to the agri-food sector, and a specialist in the analysis and verification of wine, we are always seeking ways to enhance the productivity and reproducibility of every analysis we run,” said Alessandro Cavaglioni, Laboratory Manager, ISVEA. “The implementation of the Pesticide Explorer workflow, along with access to Thermo Fisher’s expert support, has enabled our team to conduct highly-repeatable pesticide testing, delivering a regulatory-compliant service to each of our clients.”

“Pesticides are used to protect the world’s crops, but their presence beyond pre-defined safety limits also poses health risks to consumers and must be closely monitored by food testing laboratories,” added Dipankar Ghosh, Director, Marketing, Food and Beverage, Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “The Pesticide Explorer validated workflow is designed to detect multi-class pesticides in line with European Union (EU) SANTE guidelines, helping to increase productivity for food testing laboratories and safeguard consumers and the global food chain.”

For more information on the Pesticide Explorer workflow, please visit the website.