An inexpensive 'dipstick' test for pesticides in foods

November 11, 2009

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Scientists in Canada are reporting the development of a fast, inexpensive

" dipstick " test to identify small amounts of pesticides that may exist in

foods and beverages. Their paper-strip test is more practical than

conventional pesticide tests, producing results in minutes rather than hours by

means of an easy-to-read color-change, they say. The study is in the November 1

issue of ACS' Analytical Chemistry, a semi-monthly journal. John Brennan

and colleagues note in the new study that conventional tests for detecting

pesticides tend to use expensive and complex equipment and in some cases can

take several hours to produce results. They cite a growing need for

cheaper, more convenient, and more eco-friendly tests for pesticides,

particularly

in the food industry.

The scientists describe the development of a new paper-based test strip

that changes color shades depending on the amount of pesticide present. In

laboratory studies using food and beverage samples intentionally contaminated

with common pesticides, the test strips accurately identified minute

amounts of pesticides. The test strips, which produced results in less than 5

minutes, could be particularly useful in developing countries or remote areas

that may lack access to expensive testing equipment and electricity, they

note.

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