Liquid Chromatography: Chapter 17. Determination of Veterinary Drug Residues in Foods by Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry: Basic and Cutting-Edge Applications

Food safety has emerged as a global issue with public health and international trade implications. Food safety programs include the control of veterinary residues, posed by the use of banned and authorized substances in animal food production. Veterinary drugs play a significant role, since they may be harmful for human health if exposure is not controlled. Nowadays, food safety laboratories face a competitive market, where government regulations mandate increase sample testing. In particular, it is necessary to develop and validate analytical methods to monitor drug residues in animal-derived food that allow the simultaneous analysis of a vast number of residues, reducing analytical costs and increasing sample throughput. Current analytical methods for confirmatory analysis and multiresidue screening are generally based on liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS). This chapter addresses the contribution of different LC–MS techniques to the field of veterinary drug analysis in food safety, with particular emphasis On their possibilities, limitations, and related applications.