Determination of the mass fraction of nine selected elements in a food simulant solution
Proficiency Testing Report
FCM-20/02 (Part 2)
The European Union Reference Laboratory for Food Contact Materials (EURL-FCM) organised a proficiency test round “FCM-20/02 (Part 2)” for the determination of the mass fraction of nine selected elements (arsenic, As; cadmium, Cd; chromium, Cr; europium, Eu; gadolinium, Ga; lanthanum, La; mercury, Hg; lead, Pb; and terbium, Tb) in a food simulant B solution (3 % w/v acetic acid). This PT round was organised in support of the Commission Regulation (EU) 2020/1245 amending and correcting Commission Regulation (EU) 10/2011 on plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with food. This proficiency test was open to National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) and Official Control Laboratories (OCLs).
The test item consisted of a food simulant B solution spiked with the selected elements at low levels, close to the respective limits of quantification. The EURL-FCM evaluated the homogeneity and the stability of the test item using inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Assigned values were established by formulation and confirmed by ICP-MS measurements.
Twenty four NRLs from 23 EU Member States and one OCL from Switzerland registered to the exercise. Only one laboratory did not report results.
Laboratory results were rated using (z) and zeta (ζ) performance scores in accordance with ISO 13528:2015. A relative standard deviation for proficiency assessment (σpt) of 25 % of the respective assigned values was set for the measurands based on the opinion of experts.
A large majority of the participants (over 90%) performed satisfactorily according to the z score. These performances confirm that these NRLs are able to monitor the mass fraction of these elements in the food simulant solution, even at levels close to their respective quantification limits.
CORDEIRO RAPOSO Fernando;
SNELL James;
VAN BRITSOM Geert;
CIZEK-STROH Aneta;
ROBOUCH Piotr;
HOEKSTRA Eddo;
2021-09-01
Publications Office of the European Union
JRC126291
978-92-76-41050-8 (online),
1831-9424 (online),
EUR 30805 EN,
OP KJ-NA-30805-EN-N (online),
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC126291,
10.2760/796487 (online),
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