LaNSA has announced an LC-MS/MS service for maize, rice and soy, alongside additional testing for alcoholic drinks.
TOGO – Togo’s National Food Safety and Phytosanitary Laboratory (LaNSA) says it can now detect and quantify more than 150 pesticide residues in maize, rice and soy, expanding its analytical services for food businesses and regulators.
The laboratory announced the service identifying liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, or LC-MS/MS, as the method used. It is available to producers, processors, traders, control bodies and researchers.
In a separate notice, LaNSA reported commissioning a new LC-MS instrument and training its technicians between 18 September and 3 October 2026. The equipment was provided through the West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP), with World Bank financial support.
Liquid chromatography separates substances in a prepared sample, while mass spectrometry helps identify and quantify the compounds being measured. A multi-residue method allows laboratories to examine a defined panel of pesticide residues within a common analytical procedure.
LaNSA has also advertised methanol analysis for alcoholic beverages, including wines and liqueurs. Its public notice does not identify the method used for that separate service.
The pesticide service provides a domestic option for examining food lots before processing, sale or export. Results can support assessments against applicable maximum residue limits, which specify permitted residue levels. Detection of a residue alone does not establish a health risk: WHO notes that effects depend on the pesticide, the amount and the route of exposure.
Internationally, the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues assesses toxicological and dietary-exposure evidence, supporting the limits established by Codex and national authorities.
The new service also requires a distinction between laboratory accreditation and the tests covered by that accreditation. LaNSA holds ISO/IEC 17025:2017 accreditation, according to the West African Accreditation System (SOAC).
SOAC’s published certificate, ES23005 version 03, is valid from 20 February 2026 to 19 February 2030. However, its attached fixed scope lists pH and titratable-acidity testing in non-alcoholic beverages. The pesticide panel is not listed in that annex, so its inclusion within an accredited scope has not been verified.
For comparison, the EU’s pesticide-residue analytical guidance, applicable from January 2026, calls for method validation, checks on accuracy and precision, defined quantification limits and continuing quality control. These requirements address how reliably a method measures particular substances in particular foods.
LaNSA’s October announcements do not provide a complete analyte list, compound-specific quantification limits, validation results, fees or turnaround times. They also do not report how many samples have been tested through the newly advertised service.
The expansion forms part of a broader investment in Togo’s food-control infrastructure. In a 9 September 2026 statement, the agriculture ministry described FSRP support for LaNSA’s scientific equipment and its role in serving local producers and export markets. A World Bank delegation visited the laboratory on 7 September to review those investments.