EURL 2016 PT MCPD and glycidyl esters in food

Determination of MCPD and glycidyl esters in food

As communicated to the participants of the EURL-PAH workshop, held in October 2015 in Brussel, the scope of the EURL activities was extended to include also process contaminants other than PAHs. In that field the EURL PAH focuses on the determination of MCPD esters and glycidyl esters in food, as this type of analysis is of high actuality and new to many laboratories.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the capabilities of European National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) and Official Food Control Laboratories (OCLs) in the determination of the target analytes in oil and biscuit samples.

NRLs for PAHs and other OCLs can participate in the study. Participation is on voluntary basis and free of charge for National Reference Laboratories (NRLs)) for PAHs.

Participation is admitted to maximum 50 official food control laboratories, which will be accepted in the order of registration. The participation fee is EUR 350 (three hundred and fifty) per registration for OCLs, which do not have NRL status

Test material and analytes

The test sample for the determination of the EU marker PAHs will consist of an amber glass vials containing homogenised edible oil and biscuit test samples

The target analytes are fatty acid esters of 2-MCPD, 3-MCPD and of glycidol. Results have to be expressed as free forms of 2-, and 3- MCPD and of glycidol. Results have to be accompanied by the respective measurement uncertainty. Details of the analytical method applied for the determination of these substances in the test samples will be requested as well.

In addition, participants will also receive a stock solution of internal standards and upon request a stock solution of calibrants in solvent, both with disclosed contents.

General outline

Participants are requested to perform three independent analyses of each sample. These analyses shall be performed on the same day. Participants have to report the results for individual analytes of the replicate analyses. These results have to be reported corrected for recovery.

Participants will be also asked to report a single value for scoring, the "final value", both for the individual analytes as well as for the sum of the four marker PAHs. These results will have to be reported accompanied by the respective measurement uncertainty.

Further details will be communicated to participants at a later stage.

Performance assessment:

The performance of the participants in the determination of MCPD and glycidyl esters in food will be rated by z-scores and zeta-scores. The standard deviations for proficiency assessment will be derived from the fitness-for-purpose function given in Commission Regulation (EC) No 333/2007.

Reporting of results:	4 weeks after dispatch
Reporting to participants:	October 2016
Sample dispatch:	End of May 2016
Year:	2016-01-01 00:00:00
Contact:	jrc-eurl-pahec [dot] europa [dot] eu (jrc-eurl-pah[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)