Table 5.
Nominal group responses to CDM Question 4. Methods for official control purposes are becoming more heavily reliant on multi-mycotoxin analyses. Identify current QC procedures and/or metrological tools that are efficient for official control and accredited methods. Are inter-laboratory validated methods of analysis still needed?
| CDM 1 | CDM 2 | Response | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| # 1 | S2 | # | S | |
| 4 | 15 | 2 | 3 | Internally labelled standards |
| 2 | 9 | 3 | 9 | Certified reference materials |
| 2 | 6 | 2 | 4 | Inter-laboratory ring trials/PT-tests |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 9 | Blanks |
| 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | Test kit validation programs |
| ●3 | ● | 4 | 11 | Measurement uncertainty protocol |
| 4 | - | 4 | 15 | Mandatory participation in multi-mycotoxin ring trials and PT tests with demonstrable good performance |
| 4 | 12 | - | - | Staff training |
| 4 | 11 | - | - | Instrument calibration |
| - | - | 3 | 6 | Validation document similar to “Sante” document for pesticides |
| 2 | 10 | - | - | QC material |
| - | - | 2 | 10 | Criteria for calculating and evaluating LOQ (Limit of Quantificatioon, scientific, not legislative) |
| 2 | 5 | - | - | Standardized sampling protocols, e.g., GIPSA (Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration) |
| 2 | 2 | - | - | Laboratory accreditation |
| 2 | 5 | - | - | Standardized protocol list |
| 2 | 5 | - | - | Standardized sample list |
| 1 | 4 | - | - | Following ISO/AOAC protocols |
| - | - | 1 | 4 | Agreement between “performance criteria” and “fitness for purpose” approaches |
| 1 | 3 | - | - | Acceptance criteria for matrix effects |
| 1 | 2 | - | - | Sample tracking |
| 1 | 2 | - | - | Lab management system |
| ● | ● | - | - | Normalized retention indices |
| ● | ● | - | - | Regulation of validation parameters |
1 Number of participants ranking this response as one of the five most important. 2 Weighted priority score, with each voting member ranking their top five topics. Five points assigned to the most important response and one point to the least significant of the important responses. 3 This response provided by one or more members of the group when ideas were listed, but was not identified as one of the five most important responses by any member of the group. 4 This response not provided by any member of the group. ISO = International Standard Organization. AOAC = Association of Official Analytical Chemists.