Development and validation of a multi-residue method for the determination of pesticides in processed fruits and vegetables using liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

A sensitive multi-residue analytical method, utilizing ethyl acetate extraction and liquid chromatography–electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC–ESI-MS–MS), has been developed and validated for simultaneous determination of 28 pesticides of different chemical classes (polar organophosphates, carbamates, strobilurines, neonicotinoids, amides, pyrimidines, benzimidazoles, imidazoles and triazoles), and their transformation products, in processed fruit and vegetables. Two precursor–product ion transitions were monitored for each pesticide in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode. Linearity (r2 ≥ 0.99) was good over the concentration range 0.5 to 100 μg L−1 for all the pesticides, and instrumental detection limits ranged from 0.1 to 1 μg L−1. Mean recovery for fruit and vegetables spiked at 0.010 mg kg−1 ranged from 65 to 94.4%, and relative standard deviations ranged from 9.0 to 20.0%. When the amount spiked was 0.050 mg kg−1 recoveries ranged from 72.5 to 90% and relative standard deviations were from 6.1 to 19.0%. Method detection limits were from 0.002 to 0.007 mg kg−1 for the different food matrices studied. The method was used to monitor pesticide residues in a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.