FaPEx® Multipesticide Residues Extraction Kit for Minimizing Sample Preparation Time in Agricultural Produce

Area of Science:

• Food safety analysis
• Analytical chemistry
• Environmental science

Background:

• The QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) method is widely used for pesticide residue analysis in food.
• Existing methods require 20-30 minutes for extraction and cleanup, necessitating improvements in efficiency and normalization.
• Global adoption of pesticide residue analysis highlights the need for streamlined methodologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a highly efficient and simple sample preparation method for determining 380 pesticide residues in various food matrices.
• To reduce the time and resources required for multi-pesticide residue analysis.
• To improve the normalization and efficiency of pesticide residue determination.

Main Methods:

• A novel sample preparation technique utilizing FaPEx® (fast pesticide extraction) kits was employed.
• Homogenized food samples (1g) were mixed with acetonitrile containing 1.0% acetic acid and processed through FaPEx® cartridges.
• Extracts were analyzed using Gas Chromatography-tandem Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) and Liquid Chromatography-tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

Main Results:

• The developed method achieved a total processing time of less than 15 minutes per sample.
• Acceptable mean recoveries (70-120%) and relative standard deviations (<20%) were obtained for over 270 pesticide residues.
• The method demonstrated a Limit of Quantitation (LOQ) of at least 0.01 mg/kg for all 380 targeted pesticides.

Conclusions:

• The developed FaPEx®-based method significantly reduces the time required for analyzing multiple pesticide residues in food.
• This approach diminishes operational time, glassware, and laboratory space requirements.
• The method substantially decreases the consumption of chemical solvents, promoting greener analytical practices.