Detection of Pyrethroid Residues in Honey and Royal jelly Using HPLC-MS/MS

Abstract Honey and royal jelly may be contaminated by pesticides in the environment, which can be carried by honeybees to the hive and remain in honey. Thus, rapid and advanced methods for detecting pesticide residues in honey are crucial to safeguard consumer health. In this research, a rapid, efficient, and accurate method for the simultaneous detection of pyrethroid residues (DEL, FLU, CYF, CYH, FEN, CYP, α-CYP) in honey and royal jelly was developed based on high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The QuEChERS method was coupled to HPLC-MS/MS and optimized for these pyrethroids. The limit of detection (LOD) for residues in honey was 0.125–1 μg/kg, while the limit of quantitation (LOQ) was 0.25–5 μg/kg, with recovery rates ranging from 89% to 110%. The LOD for residues in royal jelly was 0.25–1 μg/kg, while the LOQ was 0.5–20 μg/kg, with recovery rates ranging from 81% to 90%. This method exhibits stability and high sensitivity and meets the requirements of pesticides, with good linearity in the range of 1–100 μg/kg (R > 0.99). It provides a method for the detection and risk assessment of pyrethroid residues in honey and royal jelly.