97 laboratories from 16 different countries took part in the current laboratory performance assessment for residue monitoring. The task was to test red sweet peppers for certain active substances, identify them and quantify them precisely. A total of 80 QS recognized laboratories took part in this test, 75 of which passed successfully. The analytical competence of the laboratories in the QS scheme was thus once again put under the microscope and objectively evaluated - with very good results.
The test design red sweet pepper
Peppers are a comparatively easy matrix to analyse. In the case of red peppers, however, it is a matrix rich in ingredients due to the colorants, which must be taken into account. The test focused on analyzing a total of 14 specific active substances, including five that had not previously been tested in any QS test: Hexaconazole, Formethanate HCl, Pyridalyl, Sulfoxaflor, Methiocarb and its metabolites Methiocarb-sulfone and Methiocarb-sulfoxide.
The results
94 percent of the participating QS recognized laboratories passed the test, with more than half (56 percent) completing the test without any errors. The test was less successful for laboratories currently undergoing the recognition procedure for the QS scheme, with only one in two passing the test. One voluntarily participating laboratory also passed the test. For laboratories in the recognition procedure, a successful test result is a necessary step that, together with a document check, leads to QS recognition.
The detailed results will be discussed with the participants at the next laboratory managers' meeting in February 2025.
