MS to help protect US food supply

The FDA has bought seven of Applied Biosystems' 4000 QTRAP systems to assist in monitoring potential harmful pesticides in American food.

The mass spectrometer integrates quantitative and qualitative analysis by combining triple quadrupole and linear ion trap capabilities on the same platform. The company claims it is the only system of its kind that provides information to identify and quantify contaminants at trace levels.

The FDA's selection criteria required an integrated high performance benchtop hybrid triple quadrupole/linear ion trap LC–MS–MS system as well as software that performs automated identification of contaminants.

FDA staff will be trained by Applied Biosystems and the company will work alongside the adminstration's technical staff to validate methods that will be used to monitor pesticide residues at seven laboratories.

For further details visit the company's website at www.appliedbiosystems.com