In food safety and agriculture, Solid Phase Extraction columns are critical tools for detecting trace contaminants in complex food matrices (e.g., fats, proteins, pigments, sugars). They are essential for sample cleanup, target analyte enrichment, and matrix elimination, enabling accurate and reliable quantitative analysis of pesticide residues, veterinary drugs, toxins, and illegal additives. This ensures compliance with increasingly stringent global food safety regulations and Maximum Residue Limits.
The Role of SPE:
-
Extremely Complex Matrices: Animal tissues, dairy, honey, grains, fruits, and vegetables contain abundant interferents.
-
Ultra-Low Analyte Concentrations: Detection often required at ppb (μg/kg) or even ppt (ng/kg) levels.
-
Stringent Regulatory Compliance: Methods must align with standards like China GB, EU, and US FDA regulations.
-
Protection of Expensive Instruments: Prevents contamination of LC-MS/MS, GC-MS/MS systems.
| Sorbent Type | Typical Phase | Targeted Application & Clean-up Goal | Example Analytes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reversed-Phase（RP） | C18，C8 | Removes fats, lipophilic pigments; extracts non-polar/weakly polar pesticides & contaminants. Foundational for residue analysis. | Organochlorine pesticides, pyrethroids, PAHs, plasticizers |
| Normal-Phase（NP） | Silica，Florisil | Classical pesticide cleanup. Strongly retains fats, waxes, pigments; used for fatty samples. | Various non-polar pesticides (e.g., for multi-pesticide GC-MS analysis) |
| Ion Exchange（IEX） | PCX,MCX | Extracts basic/amphoteric compounds; removes acidic matrix interferences. | Sulfonamides, quinolones, tetracycline antibiotics, alkaloids |
| Ion Exchange（IEX） | PAX,MAX | Extracts acidic compounds; removes basic matrix interferences. | Acidic pesticides (e.g., 2,4-D), certain mycotoxins |
| Dispersive SPE | dSPE (QuEChERS) | Revolutionary approach. Sorbent is added directly to the extract for rapid, efficient cleanup. Ideal for multi-residue screening. | Hundreds of pesticides and metabolites |
| Graphitized Carbon Black | GCB | Superior selectivity; enables extraction and clean-up based on both hydrophobicity and charge. | Cleanup of extracts from dark matrices (spinach, tea) |
| Mixed-Mode | RP+IEX | High-selectivity cleanup, especially for veterinary drug residues and biotoxins in complex matrices. | Clenbuterol, chloramphenicol, zearalenone |
Typical Workflow & Selection Strategy:
-
Sample Extraction: Homogenized sample is extracted with solvents like acetonitrile, acidified acetonitrile, or buffer solutions.
-
SPE Cleanup Strategy:
-
General Cleanup: For common fruits/vegetables, Florisil or C18 columns are often used.
-
Pigment Removal: For tea, spinach, GCB or GCB/PSA mixed sorbents are employed.
-
Multi-Veterinary Drug Residues: For animal tissue, honey, mixed-mode cation exchange columns are preferred.
-
High-Throughput Screening: The QuEChERS method with dSPE cleanup tubes is adopted.
-
-
Elution & Analysis: Following optimized elution, instrumental analysis is performed.
Technical Advantages:
-
High-Selectivity Cleanup: Effectively removes specific interferents, drastically reducing matrix effects.
-
High Recovery & Reproducibility: Ensures accuracy and precision for quantitative analysis, meeting accreditation requirements.
-
Method Standardization: Many international and national standard methods (e.g., GB 23200 series, EU QuEChERS) are built around SPE.
Conclusion:
In food safety and agricultural analysis, SPE has evolved from a simple enrichment tool into an intelligent matrix management solution. Selecting the appropriate SPE column and optimizing the protocol for specific "sample-analyte" combinations is a core technical step in establishing reliable detection methods, ensuring safety "from farm to fork," and navigating global technical trade barriers.
Get Your Personalized SPE Selection Consultation
Still uncertain which column—or column combination—is right for your specific needs?
Contact our application specialists for a free consultation. Provide details about your analytes, matrix, and detection method, and we'll:
-
Recommend the optimal SPE chemistry (including NH2, HLB, GCB options)
-
Suggest appropriate sorbent mass and format
Ready to Optimize Your Sample Preparation?
[Shop Our Complete SPE Collection] – Filter by mechanism, application, or format
[Request Sample Cartridges] – Test our NH2, HLB, or GCB columns in your lab
[Schedule a Technical Consultation] – One-on-one guidance for challenging applications
艳 李
