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Pesticides are widely used in agriculture to protect crops and maintain yield, but their presence in food must be carefully monitored. To safeguard consumers, regulatory authorities worldwide set maximum residue limits (MRLs), often at very low concentrations and across a wide range of compound classes.

For food testing laboratories, pesticide residue analysis is therefore one of the most demanding routine workflows. Labs are expected to deliver reliable, reproducible results across diverse food matrices, while maintaining throughput and keeping pace with evolving regulatory expectations.

 

Why pesticide analysis remains challenging

Modern pesticide testing rarely focuses on a single compound. Instead, laboratories must routinely screen and quantify large, multi‑residue panels that include compounds with very different chemical properties.

Common analytical challenges include:

• Strong matrix effects from complex food samples
• Compounds spanning a wide polarity range
• The need to detect parent pesticides alongside metabolites and degradation products
• Increasing pressure to reduce turnaround time without compromising data quality

Successfully addressing these challenges requires analytical workflows that combine sensitivity, selectivity and robustness, while remaining practical for routine compliance testing.

 

Technical note highlights

Precise testing of pesticides in food using the SCIEX Triple Quad™ 7500 LC-MS MS System – QTRAP Ready
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Simultaneous LC-MS/MS quantitation of 180 pesticides in tea
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Improving confidence in pesticides identification in food using QTRAP technology
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Supporting reliable multi‑residue workflows

LC‑MS/MS has become the technique of choice for pesticide residue analysis in food due to its ability to deliver high sensitivity and selectivity across broad analyte panels. For routine testing environments, systems that support fast polarity switching, stable performance, and consistent data quality allow laboratories to consolidate more compounds into fewer runs.

Equally important is data handling. Integrated software platforms that bring acquisition, processing and reporting together can help laboratories manage high sample volumes while maintaining confidence in results and simplifying day‑to‑day operation.

 

Polar pesticides: A distinct analytical challenge

Within the broader pesticide landscape, polar pesticides, such as glyphosate, glufosinate and aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA), present additional difficulties. Their poor retention on conventional reversed‑phase LC columns and susceptibility to matrix interferences make them particularly challenging to analyze.

A recent technical note demonstrates how a dedicated workflow for polar pesticides can address these challenges:
Quantitation of polar pesticides in foods of plant origin

The study describes a combined sample preparation and LC‑MS/MS approach for the analysis of polar pesticides in tomatoes, oranges and oats. Key elements of the workflow include:

• HILIC chromatography to improve retention of early‑eluting polar compounds
• A modified QuPPe‑based (Quick polar pesticides) extraction method
• QTRAP-based MRM³ acquisition to reduce matrix interferences and improve signal‑to‑noise

The results show reproducible chromatography, reliable quantitation and performance at low µg/kg levels across multiple plant‑based matrices, supporting confident compliance testing for this difficult compound class.

 

Enabling confidence in routine compliance testing

As regulatory expectations continue to evolve and analyte lists grow, food testing laboratories need approaches that are both technically robust and operationally sustainable. Well‑designed LC‑MS/MS workflows, supported by clear, application‑focused guidance can help labs maintain confidence in their results while meeting productivity demands.

By combining sensitive instrumentation, streamlined data handling and practical technical references, laboratories are better equipped to adapt to changing requirements and deliver reliable pesticide residue data in support of food safety.

 

The SCIEX solution

SCIEX  7500+ system

Sensitivity for routine pesticide quantitation
The SCIEX 7500+ system supports trace‑level pesticide analysis with the sensitivity and robustness needed for large multi‑residue panels and complex food matrices, including challenging polar compounds.

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SCIEX OS software

Simplifying pesticide data workflows
An integrated software environment helps laboratories move efficiently from data acquisition to reporting, supporting consistent review, automated calculations and confident results across multi‑residue pesticide methods.

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Service and support

Supporting reliable routine testing
Expert service and application support help laboratories maintain performance, maximise uptime and keep pesticide workflows running smoothly in high‑throughput, regulated environments.

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