The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) released EN 16618:2015 Food analysis - Determination of acrylamide in food by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS), and EN 16619:2015 Food analysis - Determination of benzo[a]pyrene, benz[a]anthracene, chrysene and benzo[b]fluoranthene in foodstuffs.
EN 16618:2015 will allow labs involved in the EU wide monitoring programme for acrylamide to use a method demonstrated to be fit-for-purpose.
EN 16619:2015 fulfils performance characteristics of Commission Regulation (EU) No 836/2011 and will help control labs in the EU Member States to test food for compliance with regulated limits for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Both standards are based on pre-normative research (development and optimisation of the methods and their performance testing by collaborative study) by JRC-IRMM.
JR-IRMM said standardised methods of analysis are an important tool to ensure the quality of laboratory data across the EU and help implement relevant legislation in a harmonised way.