Analytical Methodologies for Neonicotinoid Determination in Bee Products

Neonicotinoids are systemic insecticides of great importance for agriculture due to their powerful activity against pests and insects. However, concerns regarding the side effects on health and the environment of this family of insecticides continue to increase, since these can then be transferred to the environment and the food chain, with potential adverse consequences for nontargeted organisms such as bees. In fact, exposure to neonicotinoids has been identified as one of the factors involved in the sudden decline in the bee population, and for this reason, numerous studies have been published relating to their extraction and determination in bee products (honey, beeswax, bee pollen, royal jelly, nectar, and bee bread). Therefore, the main goal of this chapter is to present an overview of the analytical methodologies generally employed to determine neonicotinoid insecticides and related compounds in bee products during the last 10 years (2010–2020), as this could help to facilitate their assessment. The layout of the chapter is in accordance with the different bee products, indicating and discussing the most common sample treatments and evaluation methods used to determine neonicotinoids in each of them. A list of some of the most relevant applications is provided for each bee product. The references included will provide the reader with a comprehensive overview of and insight into the analysis of neonicotinoid insecticides in bee products.