ABSTRACT
Mass spectrometry (MS) provides adequate specificity and sensitivity for an unambiguous identification of the target analytes in food, biological, and environmental matrices at a trace level. This chapter introduces the main mass spectrometric strategies, from the very first, single MS and multidimensional and high-resolution MS through to the advanced isotope ratio MS. It describes the principles, the current technology and the applications of high-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry in the analysis of veterinary drug (VD) residues. VDs are the chemicals widely used in farming to increase production, to treat infections, for prophylactic reasons or even as growth promoters for intensive animal production. The traceability of the measurement of analytical parameters capable of evaluating the performance of a method on a specific instrument is of first importance for quality assurance of the routine control, especially for residue monitoring of non-authorized medicinal substances in food from animal origin.
