[Enzyme immunoassay of pesticide residues in foods].

Analytical techniques for pesticide residues in food include gas chromatography (GC), gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). These procedures are time consuming, cumbersome and require specialized instrumentation. A number of enzyme immunoassay methods for pesticide have appeared in recent years. In addition, nowadays a lot of immunoassay kits for various kinds of pesticide are in the market. The assay offers alternative means that is more sensitive, faster and cost-effective than previous methods. However, it is subject to problems that the assay does not suit multi-residue analysis and has possibility to encounter interferences which would affect the assay precision in case of some crops. Assuming that researcher knows which pesticide were applied to the analyzed crops beforehand, the pesticide would be detected easily by immunoassay. Also, when suitable sample kit for analyzed pesticide is available, the assay could be an excellent screening tool for large number of food samples. In conclusion, it will be necessary to consider analytical purpose to confirm utility of immunoassay when applying to pesticide analysis.