CAC/GL 27-1997 Guidelines for the Assessment of the Competence of Testing Laboratories Involved in the Import and Export Control of Foods
SCOPE
1. These guidelines provide a framework for the implementation of quality assurance measures to ensure the competence of testing laboratories involved in the import and export control of foods.
2. These guidelines are intended to assist countries in the application of requirements for trade in foodstuffs in order to protect the consumers and to facilitate fair trade.
REQUIREMENTS
3. The following quality criteria should be adopted by laboratories involved in the import and export control of foods:
- Compliance with the general criteria for testing laboratories laid down in ISO/IEC Guide 17025:1999 “General requirements for the competence of calibration and testing laboratories”;
- Participation in appropriate proficiency testing schemes for food analysis which conform to the requirements laid down in “The International Harmonized Protocol for the Proficiency Testing of (Chemical) Analytical Laboratories”, Pure & Appl. Chem. 78 (2006) 145-196;
- Whenever available, use methods of analysis which have been validated according to the principles laid down by the Codex Alimentarius Commission; and
- Use internal quality control procedures, such as those described in the “Harmonized Guidelines for Internal Quality Control in Analytical Chemistry Laboratories”, Pure & Appl. Chem. 67 (1995) 649-666.
