Evaluation of the accuracy of laboratories in measuring aflatoxins in foods
Subject Areas : Food HygieneMaryam Jalili 1 , Elham Hashemi Shaad 2
1 - Assistant Professor, Faculty of Food Industries and Agriculture, Standard Research Institute, Karaj, Iran
2 - Technical manager of proficiency test center, Institute for Quality Assessment and Management Systems, Standard Research Institute, Karaj, Iran
Keywords: Proficiency test, Aflatoxins, Food laboratories, Accuracy,
Abstract :
The accuracy—encompassing both precision and trueness—of laboratory performance in measuring food toxins, particularly aflatoxins due to their significant impact on human health, is critically important. Proficiency testing, conducted by an independent and impartial body, is a recognized method for assessing the accuracy of laboratory results. A proficiency test was conducted to evaluate laboratory performance in aflatoxin analysis. The assigned value of aflatoxins in the test samples and the proficiency test standard deviation (σₚₜ) were determined based on consensus values derived from participant results. Laboratory performance was evaluated and compared using Z-scores. Results indicated that 22 out of 26 participating laboratories (85%) achieved acceptable results for aflatoxin B1, while 4 laboratories were flagged as unacceptable (action signal). For aflatoxins B2 and G1, 22 (88%) and 19 (76%) out of 25 laboratories demonstrated acceptable performance, respectively. The highest rate of unacceptable results was observed in the analysis of aflatoxin B1. The findings suggest that although most laboratories are equipped with advanced analytical instruments, there remains a significant gap in the technical knowledge and expertise of some operators.
