Development of a New Series of Agricultural/Food Reference Materials for Analytical Quality Control of Elemental Determinations

Abstract

Ten new Agricultural/Food Reference Materials--Bovine Muscle Powder (National Institute of Standards and Technology [NIST], code NIST RM 8414), Whole Egg Powder (NIST RM 8415), Microcrystalline Cellulose (NIST RM 8416), Wheat Gluten (NIST RM 8418), Corn Starch (NIST RM 8432), Corn Bran (NIST RM 8433), Whole Milk Powder (NIST RM 8435), Durum Wheat Flour (NIST RM 8436), Hard Red Spring Wheat Flour (NIST RM 8437) and Soft Winter Wheat Flour (NIST RM 8438)--were prepared by application of milling, irradiation, sieving, blending, and packaging procedures. Excellent material homogeneity was found for virtually all major, minor, and trace elements of interest. The reference materials were characterized with respect to elemental composition via an extensive international, interlaboratory characterization (certification) campaign. Chemical analyses conducted in 73 cooperating laboratories applying 13 major classes of independently different analytical methods led to 278 concentration values for 34 nutritionally, toxicologically, and environmentally pertinent elements. A total of 213 best-estimate and 65 informational concentration values are available for Al, As, B, Ba, Br, Ca, Cd, Cl, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, F, Fe, Hg, I, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, N, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, S, Sb, Se, Sr, Ti, V, W, and Zn. These products make a substantial contribution to the existing world repertoire of biological reference materials with respect to natural matrix and elemental composition. They are expected to be useful to analysts for quality control of analytical data. Applications include evaluations of analytical methods and instruments used in nutritional, toxicological, monitory, regulatory, environmental, agricultural, and other investigations. These products are available to the analytical community from the Standard Reference Materials Program, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD.