What is EURL POPs?

This document on analytical parameters for the determination of selected per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food and feed was developed within the network of the European Union Reference Laboratory (EURL) for halogenated POPs in Feed and Food, the respective National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) of EU member states and international experts in the field of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) analysis.The guidance in this document is intended for laboratories involved in the official control of contaminants in food and feed and focuses on the determination of these substances in the laboratory. It is intended as general guidance for laboratories and particularly for those that do not have an existing method. It provides useful key elements in a set of analytical parameters contributing to further harmonization in the field of PFAS analysis in food and feed as part of the EURL’s official mandate and scope of work.

The guidance in this document is intended for laboratories involved in the official control of contaminants in food and feed and focuses on the determination of these substances in the laboratory. It is intended as general guidance for laboratories and particularly for those that do not have existing analytical methods. It provides guidance on the essential analytical parameters to be used for organobromine contaminant analysis in food and feed and contributes to further harmonization in this field as part of the EURL’s official mandate and scope of work.

This proficiency test (PT) on the determination of PCDD/Fs, PCBs, PBDEs and HBCDDs in dried citrus pulp was organized by the European Union Reference Laboratory (EURL) for halogenated persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in Feed and Food to be performed between September and November 2021. The objective was to assess analytical performance of laboratories and the interlaboratory comparability of results from analyses of PCDD/Fs, PCBs, PBDEs and HBCDDs in one sample of dried citrus pulp.