Pesticide Residue Testing
& MRL Compliance
Accredited multi-residue pesticide residue testing by LC-MS/MS to verify your products meet strict Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for the EU, Japan, and US markets.
Avoid Border Rejections & DWPE
Exporting food products requires navigating a complex web of global pesticide regulations. A product that is compliant in the US may be rejected in the European Union, where limits are significantly stricter. Avoid costly FDA import detention due to MRL violations.
Pesticide residues are a major subset of chemical food contaminants. AGT Food Labs delivers high-sensitivity pesticide residue testing using AOAC 2007.01 (SOP 070) on LC-MS/MS to detect trace levels of polar and semi-polar residues. Each analytical run validates compliance against your destination MRL, helping prevent shipment rejections and protecting your global supply chain.
Common Triggers for Pesticide Residue Testing
Most exporters request analysis when one of these business situations comes up.
📦Pre-Shipment Verification
A new lot of produce, grain, spice, tea, or dried botanical is heading overseas and the importer requires a Certificate of Analysis before the container ships.
🛒Buyer or Retailer Requirement
Major retailers, food service buyers, and private-label brands routinely require third-party multi-residue results as part of their supplier qualification or annual surveillance programs.
🌱Organic Verification
USDA NOP and EU Organic operators screen incoming raw materials and finished lots to defend their organic claim against synthetic pesticide drift, prohibited treatments, or supplier substitution.
⚠️Border Detention or Recall Risk
An FDA DWPE alert, an EU RASFF notification, or a customer complaint has raised contamination concerns. Targeted pesticide residue testing produces the data needed to clear the shipment or scope a corrective action.
🤝New Supplier Onboarding
A new grower, broker, or contract farm is being added to your supply chain and you need a baseline screen to confirm their material meets the same MRLs as your existing approved sources.
📅Annual Surveillance & Due Diligence
Routine surveillance lots — quarterly, semi-annual, or per-harvest — give brand owners documented evidence of "Reasonable Care" if a residue question is later raised by a regulator or customer.
The Pesticide Residue Testing Workflow
Standardized AOAC 2007.01 methodology for accurate, defensible results.
Our Pesticide Residue Testing Services
Tailored screening packages for produce, grain, spice, tea, and botanical exporters.
Multi-Residue LC-MS/MS Screen (200+)
Our flagship multi-residue service screens over 200 polar and semi-polar pesticides in a single LC-MS/MS run per AOAC 2007.01 (SOP 070). It supports "Due Diligence" verification across major chemical classes — Organophosphates, Carbamates, Triazoles, Strobilurins, and modern Neonicotinoids.
Complex Matrix Expertise: Unlike many standard labs, we specialize in difficult matrices like spices, tea, dried botanicals, and essential oils. We apply targeted dispersive cleanup steps — PSA (Primary Secondary Amine) and GCB (Graphitized Carbon Black) — to remove pigments and co-extractives that often produce false positives in these high-value products.
- Organophosphates (Chlorpyrifos)
- Carbamates
- Triazole Fungicides
- Strobilurins
- Neonicotinoids
Organic Verification Screening
If you claim "Organic," you must prove it. Our LC-MS/MS multi-residue panel screens for synthetic pesticides prohibited under the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) and EU Organic regulations. Even trace levels of prohibited substances can suspend your organic certification.
We specifically monitor for Piperonyl Butoxide (PBO), a synergist often found in "natural" pyrethrum formulations that is strictly prohibited in organic farming, as part of our standard multi-residue protocol.
Methods & Instruments
State-of-the-art LC-MS/MS achieves the low-level detection limits required by EU and Japan regulators.
| Method Name | Reference | Instrumentation | Typical LOQ |
|---|---|---|---|
| QuEChERS Sample Preparation | AOAC 2007.01, SOP 070 | Sample Prep | N/A |
| Multi-Residue Pesticide Screen | AOAC 2007.01, SOP 070 | LC-MS/MS | 0.01 mg/kg (10 ppb) |
Why LC-MS/MS Defines Modern Pesticide Residue Testing
Liquid Chromatography coupled with tandem Mass Spectrometry separates analytes by polarity and then identifies them through two independent mass transitions per compound. That dual-confirmation step is what gives the technique the selectivity it needs to operate at the EU default MRL of 0.01 mg/kg without false positives. Because most modern active ingredients — Triazoles, Strobilurins, Neonicotinoids, Carbamates, and many Organophosphates — are polar or semi-polar, they ionize cleanly in LC-MS/MS without the derivatization or volatility limitations of older techniques. Our PJLA-accredited scope under AOAC 2007.01 (SOP 070) is purpose-built around this platform, which keeps every reported result defensible to EU, Japanese, and US regulators.
Industries We Serve
Pesticide residue testing across every food and beverage vertical that exports into MRL-regulated markets.
Global MRL Compliance
Our pesticide residue testing validates results against the regulatory database of your destination market.
European Union (EU)
The strictest framework in the world. If a pesticide is not explicitly approved, the Default MRL is 0.01 mg/kg. Our LC-MS/MS LOQs are designed to meet this stringent requirement.
Japan Positive List
Japan operates on a Positive List system. Any chemical not on the list defaults to 0.01 ppm. We screen specifically for chemicals commonly monitored by Japanese quarantine.
USA (EPA / FDA)
We verify compliance with EPA Tolerances under 40 CFR Part 180. Products exceeding these tolerances are deemed "adulterated" by the FDA.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about pesticide residues, MRLs, and export limits.
What does "MRL" mean?
How much sample is required?
How long does the analysis take?
Will my results be accepted by EU customs and Japanese quarantine?
Does washing produce remove pesticides?
Why is the limit often 0.01 mg/kg?
Why does AGT use LC-MS/MS for pesticide residue testing?
Export with Confidence.
Ensure your products pass global border checks with our accredited pesticide residue testing services.
Request a Pesticide Residue Quote