Pyrrolizidine alkaloids contamination in herbal tea and honey

Determination of several pyrrolizidine alkaloids in a naturally contaminated herbal tea and/or artificially contaminated honey

The European Union Reference Laboratory for Mycotoxins organises a proficiency test for the determination of several pyrrolizidine alkaloids in one herbal tea material and/or one honey. The analytes will be out of the following group: Echimidine, Erucifoline, Europine, Heliotrine, Indicine, Integerrimine, Intermedine, Jacobine, Lasiocarpine, Lycopsamine, Monocrotaline, Retrorsine, Senecionine, Seneciphylline, Senecivernine, Senkirkine, Trichodesmine.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the proficiency of participating laboratories in the determination of the named analytes in teas and honeys

The participation is free of charge. The participation is limited to 50 participants with preference given to official control laboratories and laboratories of the NRL Mycotoxins network.

Test material and analytes

The test materials are one naturally contaminated herbal tea and one artificially contaminated honey. Participants will be asked to report the mass fractions of all analytes they are able to quantify out of the following group: Echimidine, Erucifoline, Europine, Heliotrine, Indicine, Integerrimine, Intermedine, Jacobine, Lasiocarpine, Lycopsamine, Monocrotaline, Retrorsine, Senecionine, Seneciphylline, Senecivernine, Senkirkine, Trichodesmine. Participants will also be asked to report measurement uncertainties, if possible.

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

Performance assessment

The performance of the participants will be rated by z-scores.

Registration

All interested laboratories are invited to register through our web site. The planned deadlines are given below.