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STRD1023: Change of deadline

Since the sample shipment for STRD1023 took an unexpectedly long time the deadline for result submission will be pushed to 01 December 2023. Should we find any evidence for analyte depletion, we will take action so that the proficiency assessment is not affected.

Due to a request by a participant the deadline for result submission for the proficiency test STRD1023 has been postponed to 08 December 2023.

International Training for Safer Food

Dear colleagues,

On behalf of our co-workers in the ITS Food Team we are pleased to invite you to BVL’s International Training for Safer Food. This event is an international training course on food safety risk aimed at staff working in public authorities of non-EU countries handling issues related to food safety. The event will be held virtually in February/March 2024 and will focus on residues and contaminants.

The application period has just started! You may apply online from now on until November 30, 2023.

To adapt the training times for participants from around the globe, we will offer the same training twice for four half days each:

                February, 26 to 29, 2024 (for participants from eastern hemisphere)

                March, 04 to 07, 2024 (for participants from western hemisphere)

You may select only one round. French interpretation will be provided for the second round. The training will be free of charge.

You may now also check out the preview of our programme for ITS Food 2024!

It would be a pleasure to welcome you and your colleagues to this training.

Please feel free to forward this information and spread the word to colleagues who might be interested.

EURL Guidance Document on Screening Method Validation published

In order to support the harmonised interpretation and the implementation of the Commission Implementing Regulation 2021/808 laying down requirements for the performance of methods for the analysis of veterinary drug residues, COM has asked the EURLs to provide guidance documents dealing with specific aspects which might require supplemental information. Now, the EURL Guidance Document on Screening Method Validation has been finalised and is available as of today.

The starting point for the document was the previously available screening guideline in accordance with CD 2002/657. The three EURLs have made sure to retain well-established principles while also updating the document to meet the new requirements. The first draft was circulated within the laboratory network this summer. The NRLs’ feedback was collected and discussed during the ANSES workshop in June. The EURLs would like to sincerely thank all of you for your suggestions and remarks. The feedback was considered for the preparation of this version 1.1 of the guidance document. Although the document represents the EURLs’ interpretation of CIR (EU) 2021/808 and is meant as a support for all laboratories, it is not seen as mandatory to follow. Other approaches are possible, if they provide plausible and comparable results. However, we sincerely hope that you will find the document useful. As is the case with all EURL Guidances, the document is to be understood as non-static, meaning that should you notice aspects which might require further information, you are welcome to submit your remarks to the EURLs for review.

STRD1023: Registration is now open

Following up on the positive feedback received for the first proficiency test on precision and accuracy in the analysis of standard solutions organised in 2021, the EURL Berlin is please to announce a new round of this format for October 2023. All eligible laboratories will receive the official announcement by e-mail later today. Due to the limited number of test items available, the EURL Berlin reserves the right to limit the number of participants. Please find more details on the proficiency test here.

Revised Guidance Document on Method Extension

The EURL guidance document on method extension is now available as version 2.0. A table highlighting the required samples for the reduced validation scheme in accordance with the conventional validation approach has been updated. The EURLs hope that this will facilitate the implementation of the approach and encourage the submission of additional feedback in order to improve the overall quality of the guidance documents.

Revised contaminant legislation

In a field adjacent to the control of residues of veterinary medicinal products in foods, Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/915 has been adopted recently and will enter into force from 25th May, 2023. This Commission Regulation repeals Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 and deals with maximum levels of certain contaminants in food. The document may be retrieved from EUR-Lex.