Thermo Fisher Scientific is providing laboratories performing food safety analysis with a new ion chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (IC-MS/MS) workflow solution for regulatory compliant, cost-effective and reliable analysis of quaternary ammonium pesticides (Quats).

The new Thermo Scientific Dionex IonPac CS21-Fast-4µm ion exchange column enables scientists to easily and accurately determine and quantify the four cationic pesticides: diquat, paraquat, mepiquat and chlormequat. These highly polar, permanently charged chemicals are notoriously challenging to analyze, and have, until now, required complex workflows that are prone to quantitation errors. To meet regulatory requirements across Europe, Asia and the Americas, and promote consumer safety, it is paramount for food safety laboratories to reliably determine the residue levels of these pesticides in or on food products.

“The Dionex IonPac CS21 is the gold-standard column for use in your Quat determination and quantitation workflow,” said Alexander Semyonov, global product manager, ion chromatography mass spectrometry, Thermo Fisher Scientific. “Ion chromatography has an advantage over other technologies in that it causes fewer matrix effects, and delivers superior retention and separation of ionic species.”

When coupled with the TSQ Altis Plus triple quadrupole mass spectrometer, food safety testing laboratories will benefit from reliable and robust Quat analysis that confidently meets regulatory requirements, while improving laboratory productivity. IonPac CS21 and Thermo Scientific TSQ Altis Plus triple quadrupole mass spectrometer complement the existing Anionic Pesticide Explorer (APX) solution from Thermo Fisher Scientific, providing total coverage for all polar, highly polar, ionic and ionizable food contaminants in one IC-MS/MS system. Together, the system and new column can determine and quantify not only Quats, but also glyphosate and its metabolites, and related compounds.