Project Number: 1935-42000-055-07
Project Type: Reimbursable

Start Date: Aug 01, 2008
End Date: Sep 30, 2008

Objective:
The current lab operations by FSIS for the monitoring of veterinary drug residues in slaughtered food animals is too slow, laborious, costly, and only detects a limited number of drugs. We have demonstrated the feasibility to use liquid chromatography ¿ tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) with a triple quadrupole instrument that can screen for >100 drug residues at <10 ng/mL in bovine kidney juice and serum. A new LC-MS/MS instrument will be purchased and used to give even faster analysis times, greater sensitivity, better software, and lower cost. The method using the state-of-the art fast-LC/MS-MS system will be optimized, validated, and transferred to FSIS for implementation in their Midwestern Laboratory.

Approach:
ARS will work with FSIS to develop a turn-key protocol that meets FSIS performance needs to replace their current 7-plate bioassay approach. The instrument and validated protocol will be transferred to FSIS at the completion of this project in 1-2 years for implementation in their National Residue Program.