NIST Round Robin Program for Nutritional Supplements
May
1
Written by:
5/1/2014 12:00 AM
Weck Laboratories is a regular participant of the NIST Dietary Supplement Laboratory
Quality Assurance Program (DSQAP). The program was established in collaboration
with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS)
in 2007 to enable members of the dietary supplements community to improve the accuracy
of measurements for demonstration of compliance with various regulations including
the dietary supplement current good manufacturing practices (cGMPs). The results
of the last exercise (Exercise J) have been compiled in which we have participated
and obtained very good results in the analysis of nutritional (Ca, Mg, and Zn) and
contaminants (arsenic) in foods and/or botanical dietary supplement ingredients
and finished products.
Nutritional Elements Certificate J007
As Certificate J007
Participant laboratories in this program have the opportunity of testing in-house
methods on a wide variety of challenging, real-world matrices to demonstrate that
their performance is comparable to that of the community and that their methods
provide accurate results. In an area where there are few standard methods, the DSQAP
offers a unique tool for assessment of the quality of measurements, provides feedback
about performance, and can assist participants in improving laboratory operations.
Fifty-eight laboratories participated in Exercise J with results returned to NIST
by September 2013. Weck Laboratories will continue to participate in this program
as it has done since 2008, as a tool to improve the accuracy of the measurements
required for compliance with regulations. The program involves measurements of active
or marker compounds, nutritional elements, contaminants (toxic elements, pesticides,
mycotoxins), and fat- and water-soluble vitamins in foods as well as botanical dietary
supplement ingredients and finished products. For more information about the program
or past results please contact Alfredo Pierri.