PRODUCTION AND CERTIFICATION OF FRESH REFERENCE MATERIAL FOR MACRONUTRIENT ANALYSIS

Reference materials for carrying out in-house quality assurance by food laboratories that analyse macronutrients have to date been inadequate. The freeze-dried, very specialized, materials that exist on the market are not always comparable with ordinary food products analysed at those laboratories. A homogeneous, "fresh", canned meat material was produced by an ordinary cannery. The total amount of material (pork, nitrite salt and water) was 1700 kg. During production, the fat content was continuously analysed in the different sub-batches and combinations are made accordingly. The material was packed in tin cans containing 200 g, and tested for homogeneity. The shelf life is, by experience, at least five years. A large number of authorized public and industry laboratories participated in the certification procedure. For each constituent different types of standard analytical methods were used. The material is offered for sale together with a certificate, giving mean values for moisture, ash, fat, nitrogen, sodium, sodium chloride and hydroxyproline content. The uncertainty is given as standard deviations including the analytical error and the variations between laboratories, methods and units. © 1990 Springer-Verlag.