19
QS – Report 2012
Outlook 2013
Residue analysis in Laboratory
Performance Assessment
In order to maintain their QS approval, laboratories
have to ensure that their analysis methods comply
with the latest standards at all times. To ensure that
laboratories that have already been approved cannot
rest on their laurels, the laboratory performance
assessments which are conducted twice a year are
subject to constant further development.
In the
spring test 2012
,
the participants had to test
prepared orange samples for residues. Pears were
chosen as the test material for the
autumn test
.
Both of these products pose a challenge to residue
analysis as product-related misinterpretations can
easily occur which only experienced and competent
lab personnel can recognise and exclude. The
analysis methods are put to the test by either
using new active substances or ones which caused
problems in previous tests.
A total of 63 laboratories (spring) and 80 (autumn)
participated in the laboratory performance
assessments in 2012. Roughly 70 percent were
successful in each instance. The remaining
participants had to make improvements, but none of
the labs approved within the QS scheme had to have
their important QS approval withdrawn.
For laboratories which are still going through the
approval procedure, the performance assessment
is still a big challenge which more than half of them
fail to meet. By way of comparison, the
success rate
among QS-approved laboratories is over 80 percent
.
Seven labs passed the approval procedure in 2012
and are now entitled to conduct residue analyses in
the QS scheme. There is great interest in QS-approval
in foreign countries in particular where the demand
for high-quality residue analysis is on the rise due to
the increasing number of scheme participants.
“
For us in the retail sector, laboratory approval
by QS is hugely important. We have to rely on
high-quality and correct residue analyses. If
labs have QS-approval, we know that they can
analyse to a high standard and that they are
inspected regularly.”
Oliver Dobusch,
National Quality Assurance
Representative with Kaiser‘s Tengelmann GmbH
Participants in laboratory performance
assessments in 2012
Germany
Approved labs
Labs undergoing approval procedure
Germany
Spring
19
23 15
9
23
12
1
3
3 4
12
1
3
13
2
Spring
Spring
Spring
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
Autumn
Autumn
Autumn
Autumn
Unsuccessful
Successful
Abroad
Abroad
DDAC
BAC
These products were examined most frequently
0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700
534
588
397
699
349
349
342
342
303
303
200
202
148
154
119
157
126
128
80
59
Number of
analyses