Pesticide residue testing

Pesticides are chemicals used in agriculture to protect crops against insects, fungi, weeds and other pests. In addition to their use in agriculture, pesticides are also used to protect public health in controlling the vectors of tropical diseases, such as mosquitoes.

Pesticide residue refers to the pesticides that may remain on or in food after pesticide formulations are applied to food crops. As pesticides are potentially toxic to humans, the levels of residues in foods are often stipulated by regulatory bodies in many countries.

New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), Codex, and other regulatory bodies' Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) are based on Good Agricultural Practice data.

We are able to test the following food matrices:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Drinking water
• Oil seeds
• Cereals

International convention: Codex Alimentarius

The analytical testing of food products is defined by international convention, published in a document called the Codex Alimentarius. This is published by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations World Health Organisation. This document has been summarised in the table below and represents the food matrices that Eurofins Agro Testing New Zealand is able to test.

Acid herbicides

In recent years the older style of volatile and non-polar residue compounds have been replaced by more polar, thermo-labile, less volatile, easily degradable compounds.  Acid herbicides fall into this class and are found in wide use around the world because of their relative cheapness and effectiveness as broad-leaf weed killers in grain crops. 

Acid herbicides readily dissolve in water due to their polarity having half-lives in soil and water, ranging from weeks to months depending on the prevailing environmental conditions such as pH and light intensity.

Testing for these compounds is a requirement under many resource consents, for drinking water compliance and for compliance with Ministry for Primary Industries export requirements.

Eurofins Agro Testing can test your samples in these matrices as well as soil and sludge.