Fast screening for pesticides in fruits and vegetables by gas chromatography
Identifying and quantifying pesticides in fruits and vegetables is important for public health and safety reasons. As sample loads increase, analysts look for ways to enhance the speed of sample preparation and analysis while maintaining high data quality. The United States Department of Agriculture has
implemented the Pesticide Data Program (PDP) to provide data on pesticide residues in food, through an Annual Summary. These data are subsequently used by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to conduct dietary risk assessments for adults, and especially children and infants. One of the most important
outcomes of the PDP Annual Summary is the information on pesticides likely to be detected in certain commodities, their concentration ranges, and whether or not EPA tolerances have been violated.