Simultaneous Analysis of Pesticides and Mycotoxins in Primary Processed Foods: The Case of Bee Pollen

Author(s): Maria Antonietta Carrera1, José Antonio Martinez Martinez2, María Dolores Hernando1, Amadeo R. Fernández-Alba2
1. Department of Desertification and Geo-ecology, Experimental Station of Arid Zones, CSIC, Almería, Spain, 2. European Union Reference Laboratory for Pesticide Residues in Fruit & Vegetables Agrifood Campus of International Excellence (ceiA3), Department of Chemistry and Physics, University of Almeria, Almeria, Spain.

Published By: Heliyon

Issue: 13, Volume 10

Year of Publication: 2024

Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33512

Abstract: Primary Processed Foods are a class of food items that are ready for consumption after minimal processing in the supply chain. These products are ubiquitous in our daily diet, but so far a limited number of studies dealt with the optimization of quality control methods to check their content of contaminants. Among primary processed foods, bee pollen is a nutritionally acclaimed food supplement, whose contamination with pesticides and mycotoxins has been largely proven. For this reason, the present study aimed at optimizing for the first time a comprehensive LC-MS/MS method capable of analyzing 282 pesticides and 8 mycotoxins in bee pollen. To obtain a suitable method, two extraction procedures (QuEChERS and Accelerated Solvent Extraction), as well as different chromatographic gradients and columns, were tested. The optimized methodology, comprehending an extraction based on semi-automated QuEChERS, and an analytical method including inert LC column technology, was validated and applied to a sample set of 34 bee pollens. The analyzed samples collectively showed the presence of 41 pesticides and 1 mycotoxin.

Acknowledgment(s): This analysis features Restek’s Raptor Inert ARC-18 LC columns (cat.# 9314A12-T). Learn more about our inert column technology at www.restek.com/inert