Beta-adrenergic receptor agonists (ß- agonists) are synthetic drugs utilized in the treatment of conditions such as asthma in humans, and are also used as a growth-promoting agent in food-producing animals. The use of ß- agonists in food-producing livestock has been either banned or regulated across many countries owing to human health concerns.
To aid in the monitoring and detection of ß- agonists in livestock, a highly sensitive and selective analytical method has been developed, and is presented in this study. This LC/MS/MS method details the analysis of 13 ß- agonists in pork samples, and utilizes isotopically-labeled internal standards to compensate for matrix effects present in complex food matrices.