Check your food

A new ‘dipstick’ test promises to be a fast and inexpensive way to identify even the smallest amounts of pesticides in food or drink.

The process, developed by scientists in Canada, is a paper-strip test that, the researchers claim, is more practical than conventional pesticide checks, producing results in minutes rather than hours by means of an easy-to-read colour-change.

The paper-based test changes colour depending on the amount if pesticides present. In laboratory tests, the scientists used food and beverage samples contaminated with pesticides. They found that the strip accurately identified even the tiniest amount of pesticides and produced results in less than five minutes.

According to the study, published in the American Chemical Society’s Analytical Chemistry this month, the test could be particularly useful in developing countries or remote areas that may lack access to expensive testing equipment and electricity.

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