Proficiency test on the determination of acrylamide in potato crisps

The Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM) of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) was requested by the Directorate General Health and Consumer Protection (DG SANCO) to organise a proficiency test on the determination of acrylamide potato products in 2007. The aim of this test was to support the implementation of the acrylamide monitoring Recommendation 2007/331/EC. The study was a dedicated collaborative trial and was free of charge for the participants. The organisation of the study as well as the evaluation of the results was done in accordance with "The International Harmonised Protocol for the Proficiency Testing of Analytical Chemistry Laboratories". Altogether 42 laboratories from 16 EU member states subscribed for participation in the study. The participants were asked to determine the acrylamide content in the test sample by application of their usual in-house analysis methods. In total, 36 data sets were reported to the organisers of the study. The performance of laboratories was expressed by the z-score. The percentage of successful laboratories is lower in comparison to previous proficiency tests organised by IRMM. Reasons for this might be a more complex food matrix and/or the application of improper methods. However, the study showed the importance of continuous participation in proficiency testing schemes in order to achieve comparability of results.