CNEVA-LCHA, the French national reference laboratory was designated as the Community Reference Laboratory (CRL) for the analysis and testing of milk and milk products to assist the EC in this task and to manage the network of NRL's. One of the main purposes of the CRL is to provide NRL's with reliable analytical methods and to evaluate the competency of these NRL's through proficiency testings which are considered as invaluable tools in assessing the analytical performance of a laboratory network.

The first proficiency testing for Aflatoxin M1 determination in dried milk was then carried out by the CRL, in June 1996. Fifteen NRL's participated to the exercise which included the analysis of dried milk samples, some of them being aflatoxin M1 naturally-contaminated milk. No outlying results were detected by Cochran or Grubbs statistical tests. The relative standard deviations for repeatability and reproducibility were 7.3 % and 22.8 % respectively for the level 0.380 µg of aflatoxin M1/kg and 11.7 % and 30.3 % for level 0.746 µg of aflatoxin M1/kg.

With respect to the European regulation EC N° 1525/98 dated of July 1998 where the maximal limit for aflatoxin M1 in milk is enforced at 0.05 µg/L of liquid milk (i.e. 0.5 µg/kg of dried milk), these results show that the NRL network is proficient to the control of aflatoxin M1 in milk.

A second proficiency testing for NRL network on the determination of aflatoxin M1 in liquid milk is under completion.

Further information about the Second Proficiency testing on the determination of aflatoxin M1 in liquid milk can be obtained from:

Dr S. Dragacci, CNEVA Paris, 10 rue Pierre Curie, 94704 Maisons-Alfort (F),
phone number : + 33 1 49 77 27 42 ; fax number : + 33 1 49 77 26 95 ; e-mail : s.dragacci@paris.cneva.fr

On other CRL activities : Mr B. Lombard, CNEVA Paris, 43 rue de Dantzig, 75015 Paris (F)
phone number : + 33 1 55 76 21 74 ; fax number : + 33 1 55 76 27 95 ; e-mail : vapa10@calva.net

Last updated on 1998-DEC-04 by frf