Validation of screening tests of antibiotic residues for kit manufacturers

General introduction

What is the value of new (commercially developed) test methods for screening of antibiotic residues in food of animal origin (milk, meat, eggs, honey, and others)? The aim is a profound evaluation of new test methods as so-called primary validation studies. These validation reports are not only important for the kit manufacturers of the new test methods, but also for the consumers of food whose quality is tested with methods evaluated by an independent laboratory.

Research approach

The validation of new test kits is performed according to Commission Decision 2002/657/EC and the CRL guidelines for screening methods for residues of veterinary drugs in food of animal origin. In such studies, ILVO determines the following parameters: detection capability, test selectivity/specificity, repeatability and robustness (impact of small changes in the test protocol, matrix effects, batch differences, and so on).

Relevance/Valorisation

Before methods can be considered as accredited and used routinely, they need to be validated. Laboratories of the food industry rely on external, unbiased primary validation reports (such as those written by ILVO) in order to limit the number of tests in their transfer validation. Besides the writing of an extended validation report, the results are distributed to a wider public by means of lectures or posters at symposia or workshops and by publication in peer-reviewed journals.