Summary of reference materials for the determination of the nutrient composition of foods

Certified reference materials (CRMs) play a critical role in validating the accuracy of nutrient data for food samples. A number of available food CRMs of differing matrix composition have assigned concentrations for various nutrients, along with associated uncertainty intervals (UIs) for those values. These CRMs have been used extensively in the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) ongoing National Food and Nutrient Analysis Program (NFNAP) to monitor the accuracy of assays of key foods and nutrients consumed in the United States. A total of 690 assigned values for individual nutrients, including proximates, vitamins, macroelements, microelements, fatty acids, amino acids, and selected phytochemicals (e.g., carotenoids), were compiled from the certificates of analysis for 63 CRMs, and the specified UI in each case was expressed as a percentage of the assigned certified or reference concentration. Across all nutrients, 63.5% of the UIs were less than 10% of the assigned value, 25.5% were 10–20%, and 11% were greater than 20% of the assigned value. The UIs for proximates, minerals, and trace elements were most consistently less than 10% of the assigned value. The relative uncertainties were significantly higher for vitamins, suggesting greater challenges in measuring and certifying these components. These high UIs (greater than 10% assigned value) in the best available reference materials are likely to be indicative of the precision and accuracy that can be obtained by current measurement systems for these components. These data suggest that care must be taken in choosing CRMs to monitor food composition analysis, including evaluating what levels of uncertainty are required in assigned values and which analytical measurement systems for food components need closer examination and improvement. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Presented at ‘BERM-10’, April 2006, Charleston, SC, USA.     

Standard reference materials for foods and dietary supplements

Well-characterized certified reference materials are needed by laboratories in the food testing, dietary supplement, and nutrition communities to facilitate compliance with labeling laws and improve the accuracy of information provided on product labels, so that consumers can make good choices. As a result of the enactment of the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act of 1990 and the Infant Formula Act of 1980, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) worked to develop a series of food-matrix standard reference materials (SRMs) characterized for nutrient concentrations. These include SRM 1544 Fatty Acids and Cholesterol in a Frozen Diet Composite, SRM 1546 Meat Homogenate, SRM 1548a Typical Diet, SRM 1566b Oyster Tissue, SRM 1846 Infant Formula, SRM 1946 Lake Superior Fish Tissue, SRM 1947 Lake Michigan Fish Tissue, SRM 2383 Baby Food Composite, SRM 2384 Baking Chocolate, SRM 2385 Slurried Spinach, and SRM 2387 Peanut Butter. With the enactment of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, NIST has been working to develop suites of dietary supplement SRMs characterized for active and marker compounds and for toxic elements and pesticides, where appropriate. An updated SRM 1588b Organics in Cod Liver Oil, a suite of ephedra-containing materials (SRMs 3240–3245), a carrot extract in oil (SRM 3276), and a suite of ginkgo-containing materials (SRMs 3246–3248) are available. Several other materials are currently in preparation. Dietary supplements are sometimes provided in forms that are food-like; for these, values may also be assigned for nutrients, for example SRM 3244 Ephedra-Containing Protein Powder. Both the food-matrix and dietary supplement reference materials are intended primarily for validation of analytical methods. They may also be used as “primary control materials” in assignment of values to in-house (secondary) control materials to confirm accuracy and to establish measurement traceability to NIST.     

The use of laboratory prepared reference materials in nutrient analysis

Summary The need for laboratory prepared reference materials is discussed as are experiences gained during five years of their use in the analysis of foods for trace nutrients. Ways of monitoring results are described and the possibility of providing certified reference materials for some of the B group vitamins in foods is examined.     

Value assignment of nutrient concentrations in five standard reference materials and six reference materials

A number of food-matrix reference materials (RMs) are available from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and from Agriculture Canada through NIST. Most of these materials were originally value-assigned for their elemental composition (major, minor, and trace elements), but no additional nutritional information was provided. Two of the materials were certified for selected organic constituents. Ten of these materials (Standard Reference Material [SRM] 1,563 Cholesterol and Fat-Soluble Vitamins in Coconut Oil [Natural and Fortified], SRM 1,566b Oyster Tissue, SRM 1,570a Spinach Leaves, SRM 1,974a Organics in Mussel Tissue (Mytilus edulis), RM 8,415 Whole Egg Powder, RM 8,418 Wheat Gluten, RM 8,432 Corn Starch, RM 8,433 Corn Bran, RM 8,435 Whole Milk Powder, and RM 8,436 Durum Wheat Flour) were recently distributed by NIST to 4 laboratories with expertise in food analysis for the measurement of proximates (solids, fat, protein, etc.), calories, and total dietary fiber, as appropriate. SRM 1846 Infant Formula was distributed as a quality control sample for the proximates and for analysis for individual fatty acids. Two of the materials (Whole Egg Powder and Whole Milk Powder) were distributed in an earlier interlaboratory comparison exercise in which they were analyzed for several vitamins. Value assignment of analyte concentrations in these 11 SRMs and RMs, based on analyses by the collaborating laboratories, is described in this paper. These materials are intended primarily for validation of analytical methods for the measurement of nutrients in foods of similar composition (based on AOAC INTERNATIONAL's fat-protein-carbohydrate triangle). They may also be used as "primary control materials" in the value assignment of in-house control materials of similar composition. The addition of proximate information for 10 existing reference materials means that RMs are now available from NIST with assigned values for proximates in 6 of the 9 sectors of the AOAC triangle. Five of these materials have values assigned for total dietary fiber-the first such information provided for materials available from NIST.     

Certified reference materials for thermal analysis

Eight inorganic substances recommended by ICTA as temperature standard reference materials for DTA and DSC were studied: KNO₃, KClO₄, Ag₂SO₄, K₂CrO₄, quartz, K₂SO₄, BaCO₃ and SrCO₃. The content of pure component in each of these substances was determined by classical chemical analysis. The temperatures and the heats of polymorphic transformations of these substances were measured with a Perkin-Elmer DSC-2 differential scanning calorimeter, and DTA studies were performed on a MOM 1500 D Q-derivatograph. The plot heat of transformation by DSCvs. DTA peak area is advanced as a calibration line for the approximate estimation of quantitative DTA effects. The substances studied will be certified as temperature standard reference materials for use in DTA and DSC.

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Zusammenfassung Acht von der ICTA als Temperaturstandard-Referenzmaterialien für DTA und DSC empfohlene und im Lande verfügbare Substanzen wurden untersucht: KNO₃,KClO₄, Ag₂SO₄, K₂Cr₂O₄, Quarz, K₂SO₄, BaCO₃ und SrCO₃. Der Gehalt der Substanzen an diesen Verbindungen wurde klassisch chemisch-analytisch bestimmt. Temperaturen und Enthalpien der polymorphen Umwandlungen wurden mit dem Gerät DSC 2 (Perkin-Elmer) bestimmt, DTA-Untersuchungen erfolgten mittels Derivatograph Q 1500 D (MOM). Eine Darstellung (Umwandlungsenthalpie aus DSC-Messung) über der DTA-peak-Flä-che wird als Eichgerade für die näherungsweise quantitative Bewertung der DTA-Effekte vorgeschlagen. Die genannten Substanzen sollen als Temperaturstandards für DTA und DSC geprüft werden.

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Rapeseed reference materials for glucosinolate analysis

Summary The use of rapeseed cake is limited by the presence of a number of antinutritional factors the most important of which are glucosinolates. Introduction by EEC of a premium to produce rapeseed with low glucosinolate content has brought the need for reference material and accurate official methods of analysis. This paper summarises the work, begun at the end of 1987, to prepare three batches rapeseed materials (cleaning, mixing and packaging) for an intercomparison of methods. Details are presented of homogeneity and stability studies and the results of the intercomparison are discussed. One of the batches was prepared in sufficient quantity to serve as a reference material and the reference value for the total glucosinolate content of this sample was obtained from the results of the intercomparison.

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Rapssamen-Referenzmaterial für die GlucosinolatanalyseEntwicklung von Rapeseed BCR RM 190 und Ergebnisse eines Ringversuchs

     

土壤中有机氯农药残留分析用标准样品的制备

介绍了土壤中有机氯农药残留分析用标准样品的制备方法。土壤样品经风干、研磨、筛分、混匀后装瓶。样品经索氏提取、弗罗里硅土小柱净化后,采用气相色谱-质谱法对残留的有机氯农药进行测定。结果表明,采自沈阳地区的土壤中的有机氯农药含量分布较为均匀,是一种理想的环境标准样品候选物样品。该研究为土壤中有机氯农药残留分析用标准样品的研制奠定了基础。     

Development of reference materials for microbiological analysis

The reliability of reference materials (RMs) depends on properties such as fitness, robustness, commutability, stability and homogeneity. The development of RMs for microbiological analysis is especially challenged through questions around the stabilisation and recovery of viable cells, the dispersion of precise numbers of cells, matrix effects and, when using molecular techniques, the presence of nucleic acids (e.g. DNA) of dead and live target organisms. However, RMs are indispensable tools for quality control in microbiological analysis. The Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM), as part of the European Commission, concentrates its efforts on the development of RMs to support the development, implementation and monitoring of EU legislation. A special focus is given to highly precise RMs for presence/absence and enumeration tests in microbiological food and water analysis. Another group of new RMs certified by the IRMM comprise DNA-based materials to control the identity of micro-organisms in qualitative assays. All of these activities serve to improve quality control in microbiological analysis. Presented at ‘BERM-10’, April 2006, Charleston, SC, USA.     

Organic nutrient content of the US Food and Drug Administration's Total Diet and its possible use as a standard reference material

Summary Mixed diet composites containing 201 different foods from the United States Food and Drug Administration's Total Diet Study have been prepared to represent the intake of a 25- to 30-year-old male in the US. To date, foods from ten different collections have been received and composites representing six collections have been prepared and assayed. Each composite, representing one of four different geographical areas of the US (West, South, Northeast, North Central), was assayed for proximates (fat, protein, moisture, carbohydrates, and ash), elemental composition and organic nutrient content. The elemental content is reported separately. This paper deals with the proximate and organic nutrient content. The organic nutrients determined were thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B₆, vitamin B₁₂, niacin, pantothenic acid, folic acid and biotin. The results to date show no significant variations in the contents among the individual collections. Portions of the collections have been freeze-dried and mixed to prepare a total diet reference material. Analytical results for nutrient content of the dry material are equivalent to those of the original composite.     

Temperature standard reference materials for thermal analysis

The feasibility of the use of potassium nitrate and potassium perchlorate as temperature standards in Differential scanning calorimetry has been studied. The solid-state phase transition temperatures of KNO₃ and KClO₄ were determined by means of DSC. The metrological properties of these salts as calibration materials were examined. The reliability of KNO₃ and KClO₄ calibrations was investigated by twofold determination of the bismuth melting temperature after the apparatus had been calibrated with indium and lead, and with KNO₃ and KCl_O4. Conclusions were drawn concerning the suitability of these salts for use as DSC temperature calibrants.

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Zusammenfassung Es wurde die Möglichkeit der Verwendung von Kaliumnitrat und Kaliumperchlorat als Temperaturstandard für DSC untersucht. Die Bestimmung der Temperaturen für Feststoff-Phasenumwandlungen von Kaliumnitrat und Kaliumperchlorat wurde mittels DSC erreicht. Weiterhin wurden die meßtechnischen Eigenschaften der untersuchten Salze (KNO₃ und KClO₄) als Bezugssubstanzen geprüft. Die Zuverlässigkeit der Kalibrierung mittels KNO₃ und KClO₄ wurde durch eine zweifache Bestimmung der Schmelztemperatur von Wismut überprüft: einmal nach der Kalibrierung des Gerätes mit Indium und Blei und andererseits nach der Kalibrierung mit Kaliumnitrat und Kaliumperchlorat. Angesichts der Resultate kann man feststellen, daß die untersuchten Salze zur Temperaturkalibrierung in der DSC geeignet sind.

     

Preparation of twelve candidate agricultural reference materials

Summary A cost-effective approach to monitoring and maintaining reliability of analytical procedures is by the incorporation of appropriate, compositionally similar reference materials into the scheme of analysis. Agricultural and food commodities represent an extremely wide range of composition, in respect of the sought-for analyte and the supporting material (matrix), not fully reflected in currently available biological reference materials (BRM's). With the view to attempting to fill some of the gaps in the world repertoire of reference materials and to have suitable products for our laboratories' use, preparation has been completed of twelve candidate agricultural reference materials. These products, representing a number of food classes, include bovine muscle powder, hard red spring wheat flour, soft winter wheat flour, durum wheat flour, wheat gluten, corn bran, corn starch, potato starch, whole egg powder, whole milk powder, microcrystalline cellulose, and sugar. Preparative steps included, as required, freeze drying, grinding or ball milling, X-ray sterilization, sieving, blending and packaging to yield sizeable quantities of each material in finely powdered form. Cooperative analytical effort is expected to lead to characterization in respect of concentrations of a number of nutritionally, toxicologically and environmentally-pertinent, major, minor, and trace chemical elements. These materials will then be available for analytical chemical data quality control for inorganic constituents in a range of agricultural commodities.

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Herstellung von zwölf als landwirtschaftliche Referenzmaterialien vorgeschlagenen Substanzen

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Contribution No. 88-49 from Land Resource Research Centre     

中红外光谱透射比标准物质研制

采用物化性质稳定的单晶硅作为基质,以直流磁控溅射方式轻蒸镀不同厚度的镍、铬混合膜层,实现了中红外波段(500~4000 cm^–1)不同透射比标准物质的研制。研制的中红外光谱透射比标准物质其透射比标称值分别为10%和50%,扩展不确定度优于0.008(k=2)。该标准物质具有量值稳定、光谱平坦等特点,可用于各类傅里叶变换红外光谱设备的透射比校准。     

人参皂苷Re标准样品的研制

以藏药诃子为原料,研制诃黎勒酸国家标准样品. 诃子经60%乙醇提取,大孔树脂富集,制备液相色谱技术得到诃黎勒酸标准品. 采用高效液相色谱（HPLC）、液相色谱-质谱（LC-MS）和薄层色谱（TLC）等手段进行纯度分析. 采用紫外光谱（UV）、红外光谱（IR）、高分辨质谱（MS）和核磁共振波谱（NMR）技术进行结构确认. 最后进行均匀性、稳定性和联合定值. 结果表明,诃黎勒酸样品均匀性良好,4 ℃储存,24个月内稳定. 联合定值确定诃黎勒酸纯度标准值为99.33%,符合国家标准品的要求. 研制出的诃黎勒酸（GSB 11-3724-2020）国家标准样品,可用于含量测定、检测方法评定、相关产品的检测与质量控制.     

Availability of reference materials: COMAR the database for certified reference materials

COMAR is the international database for certified reference materials. A new user-friendly web-based version, COMAR², has been developed by BAM and CONET Consulting AG which will be available in December 2002. The advantages of COMAR² are briefly explained.Presented at the International ILAC/IAF Conference on Accreditation in Global Trade, 23-25 September 2002, Berlin, Germany     

Development of food reference materials for nutritional analysis

Summary The development of five reference materials for major nutritional properties, whole milk powder, pork muscle, wheat and rye flour, and haricots verts beans is described. Homogeneity and stability of these materials proved to be adequate. A preliminary intercomparison of methods showed that results for total fat and total dietary fibre were method dependent. Evaluation of methods used for available carbohydrates revealed poor solubilisation and hydrolysis of starch in some laboratories. This intercomparison has given valuable information for the final certification of these materials.     

BCR reference materials for food and agricultural analysis: an overview

Summary The BCR is a research programme of the European Communities having the broad aim of improving accuracy and measurement harmony in areas of concern at Community level. Much of the work is directly relevant to the removal of trading and other obstacles as is necessary for the achievement of a single European market by 1992.The presentation provides an overview of the sector of the programme concerned with Reference Materials (RMs) for food and agricultural analyses.Summarises are given of activities for inorganic, trace organic and nutritional analyses, for calibration of rapid methods (NMR, NIR, XRF and Immuno-assay techniques) and technological measurements (industrial quality of cereals, food colour, water-sorption and detection of fraudulent addition of sugar during wine making by NMR). An alphabetic listing of analytes and properties studied during the programme is given.

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BCR-Referenzmaterialien für die Lebensmittel- und landwirtschaftliche Analyse — Ein Überblick

     

Anticoincidence INAA capabilities for analysis of FDA Total Diet Study seafoods

Anticoincidence instrumental neutron activation analysis was used to analyze three portions each of five fresh-weight FDA Total Diet Study seafoods from 3 Market Basket collections for fiscal years 2006–2008. Portions were treated with l-cysteine solutions to enhance retention of Hg during irradiation then dried at room temperature over magnesium perchlorate. Results or limits of detection were obtained for 33 elements. In general, results agreed with those available from FDA’s Kansas city field laboratory (KAN-DO). Of three shrimp composites analyzed, one showed mass fractions of Ag, Fe, rare earths, U, Th, and Mo significantly higher (up to a factor of 10) than the other two shrimp composites. The same shrimp composite showed a lower Hg result (about 50 % after accounting for any irradiation loss) compared to the KAN-DO value. This may represent a drying loss. There were other indications of Hg loss during the drying process. SRM 1947 Lake Michigan Fish Tissue, run as a control, yielded an INAA Hg mass fraction 20 % lower (corrected for irradiation losses) than the certified value, similar to the difference between the INAA (0.171 mg/kg Hg) and KAN-DO (0.211 mg/kg Hg) results for a TDS canned tuna composite. Because previous studies showed that l-cysteine effectively sequesters inorganic Hg, these discrepancies likely represent methyl mercury loss. INAA results for As, Fe, Rb, and Se were in good agreement with SRM 1947 certified values.