Report of the interlaboratory comparison organised by the European Reference Laboratory for Food Contact Material - ILC01 2011- Formaldehyde in food contact migration solution

Abstract

The Institute for Health and Consumer Protection (IHCP) of the European Commission’s Directorate-General Joint Research Centre hosts the EU Reference Laboratory for Food Contact Materials (EURL-FCM). One of its core tasks is to organise interlaboratory comparisons (ILCs) among appointed National Reference Laboratories (NRLs). This report presents the results of the ILC of the EURL-FCM, which focused on the quantification of formaldehyde in migration solutions of 3% acetic acid from food contact materials. The test material used for preparation of the migration solutions were melamine kitchenware (spoons) containing formaldehyde. The EURL prepared and distributed three concentration levels of migration solution. The general aim of the exercise was to assess the proficiency of the official control laboratories and consequently the participants were free to use any analytical method of their choice. However, in view of the support to Regulation 284/2011, EURL suggested to limit the methods to the two procedures included in EN 13130-23 (i.e. standard for food contact). There were 62 participants to whom samples were dispatched (27 NRLs + 35 national control laboratories from Germany, Italy, United Kingdom, Poland, Spain, France, Portugal and Switzerland) and 61 of which submitted results. The homogeneity and stability studies were performed by the EURL-FCM laboratory. The assigned values were obtained after applying the robust statistics to the results of the participants. Participants were invited to report 4 results for each concentration level. Laboratory results were processed using several algorithms: ISO 13528 [1], Harmonized protocol [8], DIN 38402 A45 (Q-Hampel) [5] and ISO GUIDE 35:2006 [11]. Standard deviations for proficiency assessment (also called target standard deviations) were set based on Horwitz equation [2]. As a conclusion of the ILC exercise on the quantification of formaldehyde in the migration solution of kitchenware in 3% acetic acid, this ILC showed that: The participation in the ILC was satisfactory regarding the number of the participating laboratories. Sixty one participants laboratories submitted their results. Six of the participants submitted results obtained using two different sample preparation methods. From the EURL-NRL network all 27 laboratories reported results. For the network of NRL-FCM the outcome from the participation is regarded as satisfactory as there are all satisfactory results. For the network of national control laboratories only one laboratory does not send any results. More than 85% of all reported results were properly estimated. Comparing between the two sample preparation methods (EN 13130-23) used by the participants resulted in not significantly different mean values. Both methods were found interchangeable.JRC.I.1-Chemical Assessment and Testin