Analysis of pesticide residues in juice and beverages

The analysis of pesticides in juice and beverages is reviewed. Sample preparation is an important step in the analytical method and the advantages of various new extraction techniques over the classical solvent extraction have been highlighted. Solid-phase extraction and solid-phase microextraction are widely used at present, due to the simplicity and robustness of these extraction procedures, together with the low requirement of organic solvents. Determination of residues at the low levels found in juice has mainly been performed by chromatographic methods employing selective detectors or, in an increasing proportion, coupled to mass spectrometry for the quantification and the simultaneous identification of residues. In addition, the pesticide concentrations reported in juice and beverages have been discussed in relation to the assessment of the consumer exposure to these chemicals through the intake of the processed food products studied.