Sample preparation and determination of pesticides in fat-containing foods

Pesticides are still a very important factor in food plant cultivation. The lipophilic character of most pesticides can lead to their accumulation in fat, which can have harmful effects on humans and animals. The aim of this review is to present current knowledge about the isolation and determination of pesticides in fatty commodities. The following techniques for isolation are discussed: solvent partitioning, solid phase and dispersive solid phase, QuEChERS-based procedures, matrix solid-phase dispersion, gel permeation chromatography, Soxhlet extraction, accelerated solvent extraction, and microextraction techniques. Chromatographic methods predominate in the analysis of pesticide residues in fatty matrices and, for this reason, the review focuses on these methods, particularly those combined with mass spectrometry. Analytical chemists still face the challenge - in the determination of pesticide residues in fatty matrices - of developing simpler and quicker procedures that consume less organic solvents.