EURL 2017 PT acrylamide in food

Determination of acrylamide in food

As communicated to the participants of the EURL-PAH workshop, held in October 2016 in Geel, 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 acrylamide 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 analytical capabilities of European National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) and Official Food Control Laboratories (OCLs) in the determination of the target analytes in potato chips.

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 as well as for those OCLs, nominated by their respective non-participating NRLs.

A maximum number of 50 official food control laboratories will be admitted to participate following the order of their 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 sealed container with homogenised potato chips test samples.

The target analytes is acrylamide. 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 stock solution of calibrants in water, both with disclosed contents.

General outline

Participants will be requested to perform three independent analyses for 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 also be asked to report a single value for scoring, the "final value". 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 acrylamide 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:	November 2017
Sample dispatch:	Beginning of May 2017
Year:	2017-01-01 00:00:00
Contact:	JRC-EURL-PAHec [dot] europa [dot] eu (JRC-EURL-PAH[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)