AOAC 2017 Annual Meeting Preliminary Program

WILEY AWARD ADDRESS Advances and Challenges in Establishing Residue Analysis System in India

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2017 1:00PM – 1:30PM

Kaushik Banerjee, National Referral Laboratory, Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Research Centre for Grapes, Pune, India

In this year’s Harvey W. Wiley Award Address, at the 131st AOAC Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, GA, Wiley Award winner Kaushik Banerjee from the National Referral Laboratory, Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Research Centre for Grapes, Pune, India, reflects on the technical advancements and challenges in developing an agrochemical residue analysis system in India over the last 14 years. He stresses the importance of precise and accurate analysis in establishing and sustaining food safety traceability systems in agricultural crops. The Harvey W. Wiley Award is AOAC INTERNATIONAL’s top scientific honor, given annually for career accomplishments in the analytical sciences. Banerjee will outline the workflow of agrochemical residue analysis that starts with optimized random sampling at pre- and post-harvest levels, followed by sample extraction, cleanup, and final analysis by mass spectrometry (MS). In addition, he will highlight the importance of high-quality analytical test results that govern optimization of each step in residue analysis. India’s pesticide residue control system was first established in 2004 for table grapes, with plot level traceability of test samples beginning with release of a consignment into the market. In developing appropriate analytical methods, Banerjee and his team initially focused on a multiclass, multiresidue analysis method for monitoring a list of about 50 agrochemicals, including chlorinated hydrocarbons, organophosphorus, and carbamate pesticides. Considering the typical carbohydrate-rich and low-fat nature of Indian fruits and vegetables, the preferred solvent for extraction was ethyl acetate. Efforts were taken to minimize solvent and reagent requirements, so that methods were cost-effective and easy to adopt by Indian food testing laboratories. The optimized protocol was, therefore, rapid, precise, accurate, economically viable, and had high throughput. For the first time in India, tandem MS methods were implemented for residue testing on both GC and LC-MS systems. In addition, a detailed analytical quality control procedure [per the European Commission Directorate-General Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) guidelines] was put into practice. The method was gradually expanded to cover a number of compounds based on pesticide usage information in India and detection statistics in importing countries. Prior to 2004, residue analysis in India was performed by gas chromatography- and high-performance liquid chromatography-based methods, using relatively nonselective detectors (e.g., ECD and UV). The use of MS in quantitative residue analysis was a new concept for Indian laboratories. Between 2004 and 2010, the infrastructure of laboratories in India was highly variable. Another challenge was dealing with differences in competence levels across the laboratories. Thus, efforts were focused on establishing validated methods to fit various technologies, including single quad, ion trap, triple quad, and time-of-flight (TOF) MS. Strategies were implemented so that laboratories could perform residue testing through their existing facilities, with desired accuracy in compliance with analytical quality control criteria. Organizing fit-for-purpose capacity building programs was important for the residue analysis system. Banerjee and his team received support from experts across the globe, including scientists from the U.S. Food and Drug

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