BS EN 12393-1:2013

What is BS EN 12393-1-Determination of pesticide residues by GC or LC-MS/MS about?  

BS EN 12393 is a European standard on foods of plant origin that discusses the multiresidue methods for the determination of pesticide residues by GC or LC-MS/MS to ensure foods of plant origin are safe for consumption. 

BS EN 12393-1 is the first part of the BS EN 12393 series that gives general considerations for the determination of pesticide residues in foods of plant origin.  

Each method specified in BS EN 12393-1 is suitable for identifying and quantifying a definite range of those organohalogen, and/or organophosphorus and/or organonitrogen pesticides which occur as residues in foodstuffs of plant origin.  

BS EN 12393-1 contains the following methods that have been subjected to interlaboratory studies and/or are adopted throughout Europe: 

• Method M: Extraction with acetone and liquid-liquid partition with dichloromethane/light petroleum, if necessary, clean-up on Florisil  
• Method N: Extraction with acetone, liquid-liquid partition with dichloromethane or cyclohexane/ethyl acetate and clean-up with gel permeation and silica gel chromatography  
• Method P: Extraction with ethyl acetate and, if necessary, clean-up with gel permeation chromatography  

The applicability of the three methods M, N and P for residue analysis of organohalogen, organophosphorus and organonitrogen pesticides, respectively, is given for each method. 

Who is BS EN 12393-1-Determination of pesticide residues by GC or LC-MS/MS for? 

BS EN 12393-1 on the determination of pesticide residues by GC or LC-MS/MS is useful for: 

• Food scientists  
• Food technologists  
• Food laboratories/test personnel 
• Food health and safety departments 

Why should you use BS EN 12393-1-Determination of pesticide residues by GC or LC-MS/MS?  

Pesticides are used to protect crops against insects, weeds, fungi, and other pests. Pesticides are potentially toxic to humans and can have both acute and chronic health effects, depending on the quantity and ways in which a person is exposed. 

BS EN 12393-1 provides you with guidance on apparatus, Homogenizers, centrifuges, gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, M, N and P methods, small scale procedures, preparation and storage of the samples, determination of pesticide residues by GC or LC, confirmatory tests and evaluation of results. 

The multi-residue methods provided by BS EN 12393-1 assist you in the identification and quantification of pesticide residues in foods of plant origin, improving the quality and subsistence of foods of plant origin, and ensure reduction in the risk to human health due to consumption of pesticide content.  

With obedience and compliance to BS EN 12393-1, you can enhance foods of plant origin’ efficacy and manufacture a standardized product which has acceptance in global market. 

What is changed since the last update?  

BS EN 12393-1:2013 supersedes EN 12393-1:2008, which is withdrawn. BS EN 12393-1:2013 has made some technical changes compared to the previous editions EN 12393-1:2008. These include: 

• Separation of analytes by liquid chromatography with MS/MS-detection in methods N and P 
• Incorporation of information on GC-MS/MS detection 
• Deletion of method L as no longer in use 
• Editorial updating of the document according to references, etc