SGS LANKA REDEFINING NOVELTYTHROUGH PESTICIDE ANALYSIS BY LC-MS and MS

The world as we know it is more vigilant in its course to food certification than it has ever been before. SGS Lanka has been pledged toserve the export industrial community with their latest equipment installation, the ThermoQuantis LC-MS/MS, an equipment that engages diversely in an expanse of sectors such as food industry, agrochemical, biotechnology, environment monitoring and pharmaceutical industries.

SGS Lanka, being the first Sri Lankan laboratory to have received SLAB accreditation for more than 300 pesticide analysis; has opened new doors through an equipment that is not only technologically integrated but also designated with analytical chemistry separation techniques to guarantee an effective instrument in its application. Hence, ThermoQuantis LC-MS/MS is held both robust and reliable against the compound analysis, facilitating the analysis of over 300 pesticides in food products including several commodities such as tea (black tea green tea, herbal tea), spices (cinnamon, pepper, clove etc), fruits and vegetables (grapes, pineapples and tomatoes) and coconuts, grains and cereals for the EU requirement and are tested under categories such as high-water content and high-acid content commodities etc. The tea industry however has been subjected to be under scrutiny due to the growing concern of pesticide residue in products surrounding the export market.

New applications to the high-tech instrument purveys vitamin analysis in food samples such as water soluble vitamins, vitamin B complex including vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, B12, C and fat soluble vitamin A,D,E and K. For it is the equipment enabling liquid chromatography that facilitates the separation of mixtures with multiple components alongside tandemmass spectrometry that provides structural identity of the individual components. LC-MS/MS has also excelled in terms of meeting regulatory limits and time efficiencies such that it enables to regulate over 300 compounds simultaneously.

The advancements complimenting the pesticide analysis methods are valued at approximately LKR 80 million worth the project including the LC-MS/MS Hi-tech instrument of overseas training for instrument handling Analysts along with 350 traceable individual pesticide standards. On the other end, a separate area has been designated and developed as a residue laboratory.

Considering the SANTE 12682/2019 guidelines, it holds SGS Lanka as the benchmark to ensure the quality and comparability of analytical results, acceptable accuracy and prevents false positive and false negative results to comply with European Union rules. Notably, the methods followed by the company is in compliance with the ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation standards. Remarks that merit the company also inculcate a selected list of specific polar pesticides such as Glyphosate and MCPA that could be analyzed through the Thermo-Quantis LC-MS/MS.

Mr. CresencianoMaramot, the Managing Director of SGS Lanka; thrives to champion his way through a market that envisions competency and success as one. Nonetheless, his perseverance has paved a way that is both prospective and certain. Mr. Maramot declares that "At SGSLanka we are always committed to delivering market leading solutions to improve quality, safety and productivity and reduce risk. We test the quality, safety and performance of your products against relevant health, safety and regulatory standards. This is our value to society and how we are enabling a better, safer and more interconnected world."

https://www.slab.lk/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Scope-2-1.pdf