Analysis of pesticide residues is very important to enforce legislation and
guarantee food safety. The correct use of pesticides is still crucial in agriculture
because they provide spectacular increases in crop yields and ensure global demand for
grain. However, the indiscriminate, incorrect and/or excessive use of pesticides in
agriculture may have some serious adverse effects such as the accumulation of residues
in food. Pesticide residues are controlled worldwide by maximal residues limits
(MRLs), not the same in all countries but generally ranging from a few μg kg-1 (usually
for pesticides that are banned) to a few tens of mg kg-1. Determining pesticides at this
concentration requires sensitive, accurate and robust instrumentation, and trained
personnel as well. This chapter explores the latest advances to determine pesticide
residues as accurately as possible in the shortest time. A description of aspects like
improvement of high-throughput methods specificity and advances in the determination
by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), liquid chromatography-mass
spectrometry (LC-MS) or (bio)sensors, are presented in this chapter. The focus is on
multi-residue o multiplexed analysis that will offer rapidity and economy in order to
achieve the required sensitivity (<0.01 mg kg-1). The primary purpose of this chapter is
to provide the reader with a state- of- the- art assessment and identification of gaps
within this field, and to establish future trends in the extraction, purification, and
determination of pesticide residues.
Keywords: Dispersive liquid-liquid extraction, Food of animal origin, Fruits and
vegetables, Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, Liquid chromatographymass
spectrometry, QuEChERS, QuPPe, Sensors.
