The accessibility, necessity, and significance of certified reference materials for total selenium content and its species to improve food laboratories' performance

Summary

This review examines the critical role of certified reference materials in ensuring accurate measurement of selenium (total and speciated) in food samples for quality assurance and dietary adequacy assessment. The authors highlight a significant gap: whilst some CRMs exist for total selenium, there is limited availability of certified materials for specific selenium species despite their importance for method validation. The paper emphasises that food matrix CRMs certifying selenium speciation would enable laboratories to better validate analytical methods and ultimately improve dietary selenium monitoring.

Regional applicability

The findings are directly applicable to United Kingdom food laboratories and regulatory bodies. UK food safety and nutritional standards rely on validated analytical methods, and the absence of appropriate food matrix CRMs for selenium species limits the ability of UK laboratories to meet international method validation requirements and support compliance with food composition standards.

Key measures

Availability and certification status of CRMs for total selenium and selenium species; food matrix types covered by existing CRMs; requirements for method validation in food analysis laboratories

Outcomes reported

The review assessed the availability of certified reference materials (CRMs) for total selenium content and selenium species in food matrices. It identified gaps in current CRM offerings and advocated for expanded certification of selenium species to support food laboratory method validation.

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