Analysts around the world have recognised the value of Fapas test materials for laboratory internal quality control.
Fapas test materials are an economical tool for staff training and appraisal as well as assessing method performance. Combining their use with participation in Fapas proficiency tests provides good evidence of internal and external quality control assessment, which may be required by accreditation bodies. Quality control materials may also be used for troubleshooting poor performance within their respective proficiency tests.
Fapas quality controls have an associated data sheet which provides the same data of assigned values and performance limits as in the proficiency test. The stability assessment of quality control samples is the same as that for the proficiency test.
Reference materials for the food analysis sector are not numerous and surplus Fapas test materials may be the only source of a suitable quality control material.
Quality Control materials are currently only available for food chemistry matrices.
Fapas quality control test materials are real food matrices with one or more properties that have been sufficiently well established from the results of laboratories participating in a proficiency test to be used by laboratories as quality control materials.
The values have been derived as a consensus of a number of laboratories using a variety of methods. The satisfactory range indicates the range between which results would have been awarded a satisfactory z-score in the proficiency test. The satisfactory range is set as a range that is considered fit for purpose and reflects the expected interlaboratory reproducibility. Full details of the statistical methods used by Fapas are given in our protocol.
Browse our full list of available quality control materials here.