QuEChERS Kits and Standards

The first step of QuEChERS is sample extraction using acetonitrile followed by a salting out step to remove water. Agilent offers buffered salts to accommodate various methods such as Association of Official Agricultural Chemists (AOAC) and European Standard (EN) as well as original (unbuffered) salts. QuEChERS extraction kits feature pre-weighed anhydrous salts in sealed packets to allow salts to be added after adding organic solvent to your sample – avoiding an exothermic reaction that can compromise analyte recovery. QuEChERS extraction kits can be purchased as salt packets only, salt packets with 50 mL extraction tubes, or salt packets with 50 mL extraction tubes and ceramic homogenizers. Ceramic homogenizers are effective in breaking up matrix and salt agglomerates for higher extraction recoveries of target analytes.

The second step of QuEChERS is sample clean-up. The extract from Step 1 is added to a dispersive solid phase extraction (dSPE) tube that is selected based on the specific method and matrix. Dispersive kits contain sorbents and salts and are supplied in 2mL or 15 mL centrifuge tubes to accommodate the aliquot volumes specified by current AOAC and EN methodologies. Choose from AOAC and EN dSPE kits targeted for a variety of matrices such as: general fruits and veggies, pigmented fruits and veggies, highly pigmented fruits and veggies, fruits and vegetables with fats and waxes, and many more. The Universal dispersive kits provide excellent recoveries and reproducibility for many types of fruits and vegetables.

In addition to AOAC and EN dSPE kits, the Bond Elut EMR-Lipid dispersive kit is an ideal choice for QuEChERS extracts that contain high percentages of fat or lipids. This innovative sorbent targets lipid removal while retaining analytes of interest. This yields higher sensitivity and more reproducible results, plus eliminates unwanted instrument downtime due to inefficient matrix removal. For more streamlined and automation-friendly lipid removal, be sure to check out Captiva EMR-Lipid cartridges and 96-well plates. The final step of QuEChERS is analysis usually via gas or liquid chromatography techniques.

Agilent offers chemical standards for commonly used regulatory methods, including the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists (AOAC) and the European Standard (EN) methods.

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