Specific Application of QuEChERS Method In Food Pesticide Residue Detection

It is not difficult to find that the early application of the QuEChERS method in the detection of pesticide residues is mainly the detection of single pesticides, and the extraction targets are mostly carbamates, organophosphorus, and pyrethroid pesticides. With the development of technology, in addition to the detection of pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables, research has also been carried out on the extraction and purification of samples with low water content cereals.

Development
Moreover, due to the continuous advancement of technical equipment and the efforts of researchers, the application of the QuEChERS method is not limited to traditional agricultural products such as fruits, vegetables, grains, etc., and the application range has been greatly expanded, such as high viscosity honey, high-fat content fritters, high fat, and high protein milk and milk powder, as well as animal foods with complex matrix components, such as chicken liver, pig liver, fish and so on. In addition, the method has also been applied to the detection of pesticide residues in Chinese herbal medicines and teas with Chinese characteristics.

QuEChERS is sample preparation and purification technology for multi-pesticide residue analysis in high-humidity foods. Simply put, it is a sample preparation technique. Now it has become the standard sample processing method for detecting pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables worldwide. In addition, its application involves more and more different fields, such as meat, blood samples, wine, and even soil antibiotics, drugs, drugs of abuse, and other contaminants.

Further development
Many countries have a wide range of applications for the QuEChERS method. The extracted and purified samples are not limited to plant and agricultural products such as fruits and vegetables but also include various animal foods (such as chicken, tilapia, etc.) and various highly processed high sugars food (such as honey, French fries, biscuits, and chocolates). what’s more, there are diverse detection methods and workers pay more attention to the combination of instruments.

Prospect
Due to the widespread use of chemical pesticides in food production and storage, as well as the increasing frequency of import and export trade, relevant regulatory agencies will use a variety of different analytical methods to monitor food safety and quality. The QuEChERS method is unique, fast and convenient. Featuring easy operation, high sensitivity, and low cost, it can meet the requirements of the management department and will become the preferred pretreatment method for routine testing of pesticide residues in small laboratories all over the world. After the QuEChERS method was introduced, the laboratory was effectively evaluated and verified by several laboratories including the US FDA. Some laboratories have applied the method to routine pesticide monitoring.

Adopted in detection methods
Due to its good extraction effect, high fidelity and thorough purification, the QuEChERS method is widely used in various detection methods. The target substances extracted are not limited to pesticides, and the detection instruments used are not limited to conventional gas-liquid chromatography. M.Bustamante-Rangel et al. adopt the QuEChERS method (pH was adjusted by adding citric acid-sodium citrate buffer), to extract isoflavones in solid legumes which were determined by capillary electrophoresis-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (CE-ESI-MS).

Now, there are many applications in the QuEchERS method. As long as the recovery rate of the target to be tested meets the demand, and the matrix background of the impurity removal meets the detection requirements, the method can be used to purify the food residue, animal residues, additives, and illegal additives, plasticizers, all areas may be involved.