Referenzlabor Lebensmittelsicherheit

• Forschungsstelle: METAS
• Projektnummer: F-5237.30091

Schlüsselwörter (Englisch)

Food security, trace analysis, reference measurement procedures, reference materials, authenticity, National Reference Laboratory

Kurzbeschreibung (Englisch)

Food security is a global issue. The Codex-Alimentarius-Commission, a Committee of the World Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), defines worldwide food security standards. Unsafe food containing harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites or chemicals causes more than 200 diseases – ranging from diarrhoea to cancer. Unsafe food is actually mainly in Africa and crisis areas a problem, whereas recent food scandals in Europa were mainly due to food fraud. According to the trade statistics of the Federal Customs Administration Switzerland has imported
in 2015 agriculture and forestry goods for 13.3 Mrd. CHF and exported in the same year agriculture and forestry goods for 9.0 Mrd. CHF. Thus, for Switzerland a tight collaboration with international partners in food security is essential. Since the 1st of Mai 2017 the Swiss Food Law is adapted to the European Food Legislation. The comparability of European food analysis results is ensured by a legal hierarchical system with European Reference Laboratories, National Reference Laboratories and the State Control Laboratories (Switzerland: Cantonal Laboratories). The traceability of the measurement result to the International System of Units (SI) of such a system needs to be additionally established by reference measurement procedures and traceable reference materials. Only then worldwide comparability irrespective of the applied measurement procedure can be ensured. Based on scientific results new substances such as natural toxins, environmental poisons or nanomaterials in food become regulated. Together with stringent food declaration duties the requirements of the applied reference measurement procedures / materials and their uncertainties increase. Apart from pure materials a world-wide demand for matrix reference materials at trace levels exists. To verify the authenticity of food, new element- and isotopespecific reference measurement procedures and reference materials need to be developed and provided.
METAS is establishing a metrological laboratory for food security. It will contribute to the worldwide demand for reference measurement procedures and traceable reference materials and will support Swiss industry by appropriate choice of the materials (food matrix). In a second step it will focus on the authenticity proof of Swiss food with element and isotop-specific analyses. These tasks complement perfectly to the recent designation of METAS as National Reference Laboratory for toxic elements and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Synergies result in the built-up of the infrastructure and competences in food security. For precise measurements METAS will work together with other Federal laboratories. METAS is as National Reference Laboratory perfectly positioned to disseminate the developed reference measurement procedures and traceable reference materials to the field.

Projektziele (Englisch)

The goal is to develop a metrological laboratory for food security. For the traceable determination of contaminants in food and their authenticity proof reference measurement procedures and materials are developed, validated and made available. Of interest as contaminants are toxic elements such as lead, cadmium and mercury and particular polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) such as Benzo(a)pyrene. The reference measurement procedures for toxic elements and PAH cover at least the amount of substance content range 0.1 to 100 ?g/kg of typical Swiss foods with an expanded uncertainty from < 20 to 5 %. The authenticity proof (origin and originality) is done by certification of light stable isotopes (carbon, oxygen, nitrogen and perhaps sulphur) and other elements (e.g. selen, zinc, tin) in the respective matrix reference materials. The built-up of the infrastructure and competence is done in parallel with the duties as National Reference Laboratory for toxic elements and PAH. The validation of the developed reference measurements procedures is done by participation in the mandatory proficiency tests of the European Reference Laboratories. The development and certification of the reference materials is done in collaboration with Swiss food producers and by efficient use of the existing infrastructure at METAS and the other Federal laboratories (e.g. FSVO). International recognition of the newly developped measurement capabilities and reference materials will be ensured by successful participation in CCQM key comparisons.