Journal
FOOD ADDITIVES AND CONTAMINANTS PART A-CHEMISTRY ANALYSIS CONTROL EXPOSURE & RISK ASSESSMENT
Volume 32, Issue 1, Pages 54-67Publisher
TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.1080/19440049.2014.966336
Keywords
trace elements; inorganic arsenic; mushrooms; proficiency test
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The Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM) of the Joint Research Centre (JRC), a Directorate General of the European Commission, operates the International Measurement Evaluation Program (IMEP). IMEP organises inter-laboratory comparisons in support of European Union policies. This paper presents the results of two proficiency tests (PTs): IMEP-116 and IMEP-39, organised for the determination of total Cd, Pb, As, Hg and inorganic As (iAs) in mushrooms. Participation in IMEP-116 was restricted to National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) officially appointed by national authorities in European Union member states. IMEP-39 was open to all other laboratories wishing to participate. Thirty-seven participants from 25 countries reported results in IMEP-116, and 62 laboratories from 36 countries reported for the IMEP-39 study. Both PTs were organised in support to Regulation (EC) No. 1881/2006, which sets the maximum levels for certain contaminants in food. The test item used in both PTs was a blend of mushrooms of the variety shiitake (Lentinula edodes). Five laboratories, with demonstrated measurement capability in the field, provided results to establish the assigned values (X-ref). The standard uncertainties associated to the assigned values (u(ref)) were calculated by combining the uncertainty of the characterisation (u(char)) with a contribution for homogeneity (u(bb)) and for stability (u(st)), whilst u(char) was calculated following ISO 13528. Laboratory results were rated with z- and zeta (zeta)-scores in accordance with ISO 13528. The standard deviation for proficiency assessment, sigma(p), ranged from 10% to 20% depending on the analyte. The percentage of satisfactory z-scores ranged from 81% (iAs) to 97% (total Cd) in IMEP-116 and from 64% (iAs) to 84% (total Hg) in IMEP-39.
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