Reference materials and proficiency testing

Our laboratories are internationally renowned centre for applied marine and freshwater science. We can support your laboratory by offering Reference materials and Proficiency Testing (PT) services.

Our experts work with official controlled laboratories and private laboratory customers alike, to offer services that support quality assurance.

Reference materials are widely used for quality assurance, method implementation and validation in microbiological and chemical analysis. They can be particularly useful for measurement purposes, as they are homogenous and stable with respect to one or more specified properties.

Cefas produces, and offers commercially, a broad range of certified and non-certified reference materials that are suitable for use in analytical tests for shellfish toxins and food-borne viruses:

• Toxin reference materials
• Virus reference materials

Participation in proficiency testing can play an important role in quality assurance systems for laboratory activities. We offer and organise regular PT exercises for microbiological laboratories undertaking testing of bivalve shellfish.