US biotechnology company PerkinElmer is introducing a fipronil detection device that identifies pesticide levels in eggs within minutes. As the fipronil egg scandal still rocks the food industry around Europe and elsewher, the multinational is putting forward a solution: Qsight Triple Quad LC/MS/MS.

The company says food safety has become even more of an issue since the fipronil egg contamination scandal that has been closely followed by FoodIngredientsFirst. 

Fipronil –  an insecticide classified as a WHO Class II moderately hazardous in Europe – has been detected in eggs from several countries including the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and the UK. Retailers have also removed eggs from the shelves in many stores across Europe, and thousands more have been recalled. 

“The recent recall of contaminated eggs in Europe has generated a serious health concern related to fipronil poisoning. Fipronil is a highly toxic insecticide, and it is used to protect crops,” says PerkinElmer. 

“The Maximum Residue Limit (MRL) of fipronil in eggs is set at the detection limit of 0.005 mg/kg within the European unio. Fipronil is classified as a WHO Class II moderately hazardous pesticide. Eggs containing fipronil values above this threshold could have possible negative health effects,” PerkinElmer notes.

“How can we be sure this toxic chemical doesn’t contaminate the food we consume? Traditionally, fipronil is measured by GC/MS or HPLC methodology, however, its metabolites are not included in the analysis.”

PerkinElmer is a provider of instrumentation for detection of harmful contaminants and has conducted a study to develop a faster and more robust analytical method for identifying fipronil and its metabolites in food. 

Using PerkinElmers QSight 200 LC/MS/MS triple quadrupole instrument, the firm claims to be able to detect fipronil and its metabolites within minutes, providing improved resolution and sensitivity in the analysis.