Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
3.7 CONCLUSIONS
Laboratory quality systems must be implemented in the residue analytical laboratory
in order to ensure that the quality of the results produced meets the requirements of the
client. Increasingly in today
s global market, quality systems that are formally
recognized through accreditation and/or certi
'
cation are required to facilitate inter-
national trade by providing the data that establish equivalence of food safety standards
with trading partners. Such systems also provide con
dence in domestic food systems
when applied in laboratories involved in monitoring and surveillance programs for
antibiotic residues in food.
In implementing a quality system, it is essential to de
ne the needs of the
laboratory and the customer in order to balance the costs and bene
ts of the system.
Putting in place and maintaining a quality system requires the full commitment of
management and staff and the necessary resources in terms of infrastructure, equip-
ment, and appropriately trained and experienced staff. A key issue is developing the
right mindset, in which the laboratory staff accept the system and the procedures
involved as necessary and bene
cial to both the organization and its clients, and
perform the necessary tasks routinely. The system should be implemented based on
what is done in the laboratory, rather than what should be done, and should effectively
control the laboratory procedures while remaining as simple as possible. It should also
retain suf
flexibility to change in response to changing client demands and to
allow continuous improvement.
The generation of both initial validation and ongoing quality control data is
essential in order to be able to demonstrate that a method is
client
fit for the purpose for
which it is being used. Not only is it a requirement of accreditation bodies, but it is also
essential for customer con
dence. This is true for all methods, be they single- or
multianalyte, high throughput, qualitative, and semiquantitative or quantitative. It
ensures that an acceptable standard of quality and comparability of analytical results
can exist between laboratories. Methods have been validated and utilized by analysts
that have developed expertise and experience in speci
fields of chemical contami-
nation in foods. Over the years, different groups of analysts have become more
specialized, so different terminologies have evolved. This makes it impossible to
de
c
ne a set of generic guidelines that would be acceptable to all analysts. It is
therefore prudent to adopt and follow the AQC guidelines for the particular chemical
contaminant(s) that is applicable to one
'
is own speci
c needs.
REFERENCES
1. CAC/GL 71-2009. Guidelines for the Design and Implementation of National Regulatory
Food Safety Assurance Programme Associated with the Use of Veterinary Drugs in Food
Producing Animals.
2. Macarthur, R.; von Holst, C. A protocol for the validation of qualitative methods of
detection.
Anal. Methods
2012
, 4, 2744-2754.
