FAPAS News

FAPAS Protocols

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 GMT

There have been some minor changes to the FAPAS Protocols and the new versions are now available on the FAPAS Website where you will also find a Spanish language version.

New LEAP Programme - Potable Water Chemistry Taste & Odour Chemicals

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

A new LEAP programme option has been launched for detection of chemical compound(s) likely to cause taste & odour problems in potable water. For further information see LEAP Taste & Odour

13th Joint Fera/JIFSAN Annual Symposium, 13-15 June 2012

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

Fera will be hosting the 13th Annual Joint Fera/JIFSAN Symposium at Sand Hutton, York. This year’s symposium will focus on the theme “New developments in food science: realising the potential of ‘omics’ technologies” http://www.fera.defra.gov.uk/jifsan2012

New Proficiency Tests in the 2012/13 FAPAS® Programme

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The recently launched FAPAS® Programme includes some new proficiency tests: • More multi-mycotoxin tests including animal feed and infant food. • Melamine and cyanuric acid in feeding stuffs. • Nitrite in animal feed. • A specific migration test for formaldehyde. • Increased range of foodstuffs in the pesticides tests; herb (basil) and dried vine fruit (raisins) • Trifluralin in fish muscle. • A screening test for tree nuts in the allergens test. If you would like any further information on the new tests or the FAPAS® Programme please contact info@fapas.com

2012/13 Programmes Now Available On Line

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Proficiency Tests for 2012/3 are now available to order online. Please contact FAPAS or your local agent for more information.

The latest FAPAS Newsletter

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

is available to download here

FAPAS Office Closure over the Christmas Holiday Period

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The FAPAS office will be closed from 23 December 2011 to 3 January 2012. There will be no RE-SUBMISSION of results allowed for FAPAS Proficiency Test 2799. Only the named contact for 2799 can submit results using their login detials but if you are unsure of these you can use the 'Forgotten Password' link on the FAPAS Website.

Seasons Greetings and Best Wishes for 2012

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The FAPAS Office will be closed from Friday 23 December 2011 and will re-open on Tuesday 3 January 2012. Happy Christmas from FAPAS

Quality Control Material (QCs) - Orders

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The last date for sending Quality Control Sales Orders will be 19th December 2011 and normal service will resume on 3rd January 2012.

Pesticides in Water: Is the current ideology practical and sustainable?

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

A Conference on 1 December 2011 at the Lakeside Conference Centre, FERA, Sand Hutton, York. http://www.aquaenviro.co.uk

EuroCereal 2011 Conference.

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Mark Sykes from FAPAS will be attending this conference at Campden BRI UK on the 6th & 7th December 2011. http://www.eurocerealconference.com

To All Participants in FAPAS

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Please be aware that you must fully mix each FAPAS test material to ensure that a representative sample is taken prior to analysis.

website planned downtime, Wed 12th October 2011

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Both the public website and our secure server will be off line for approximately 2 hours from 9am on the morning of Tuesday 15th November 2011. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Meet FAPAS at RAFA, Prague

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

FAPAS will be present at the 5th international symposium on Recent Advances in Food Analysis, in Prague 1-4 November 2011. We look forward to meeting you there. http://www.rafa2011.eu

Fera's Annual Review 2011

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The Fera annual review has been published and can be found on the website at the link below: http://www.fera.defra.gov.uk/news/ It highlights some key examples of our work from the past year, which demonstrate how we have applied our nationally important science capability to deliver sustainable solutions for our customers.

RESOLVED website planned downtime, Wed 12th October 2011

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Our systems were off-line for only a few minutes this morning, at around 08:45 UK time. ~~Both the public website and our secure server will be off line for a short time on the morning of Wed 12th October 2011. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.~~

Improved forgotten your password facility

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The password reminder facility will now recognise your email address so you can request an automatic reminder of your user-id as well as a password reset at anytime

Association of Public Analysts Conference, Sheffield, UK

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 GMT

FAPAS will be attending the Association of Public Analysts Conference, Sheffield, UK, 27-28 Oct 2011. For further information, visit http://www.publicanalyst.com/index.html/

EuraChem PT Workshop, Istanbul, Turkey, 3-6 Oct 2011

Mon, 22 Aug 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Our scientific adviser, Mark Sykes and Rosie Smith will be attending on behalf of FAPAS at the next EuraChem PT Workshop, Istanbul, Turkey, 3-6 Oct 2011. For further information, visit http://www.labkar.org.tr/eurachem2011/

Reminder - Important changes to FAPAS ordering processes

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

FAPAS now requires your orders in advance of the dispatch date. The advance dates are as follows: FAPAS - 14 days before dispatch date, FEPAS - 30 days before dispatch date, GeMMA - 14 days before dispatch date, LEAP - 14 days before dispatch date. At this point the tests will be removed from the website. For prepayment orders please make sure that we have received your payment by the date indicated above.

International Proficiency Testing Conference - Romania

Mon, 18 Jul 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Our scientific adviser, Mark Sykes will be presenting on behalf of FAPAS at the next International PT conference in Romania, 28-30 September 2011. For further information, visit http://www.pt-conf.org/index.php/

Water Emergency Conference

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Managing the threats, to be held at Aquatorium, RWW Water Centre, Mülheim-an-der-Ruhr, Germany on 19th-21st November 2012. For further information, visit http://www.WCEC5.eu

Proficiency Test Instruction Letters - Update

Thu, 26 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Your instructions letters are now available via the "open tests" part of the secureweb site to any person at your company with a valid user-id and password. Further user-ids can be requested by any current user for additional staff at your company by email to info@fapas.com

FAPAS receives accreditation to ISO 17043

Wed, 25 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

We are pleased to confirm that our FAPAS, FEPAS, GeMMA and LEAP scheme are all now accredited to ISO/IEC 17043:2010. This is a transfer from ISO Guide 43. We will shortly update the ISO accreditation page on this website with full details and a copy of our certificate.

RESOLVED- Icelandic Volcano Update

Wed, 25 May 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Authorities in Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Northern Germany, have partially closed their air space, due to an ash cloud emanating from the Icelandic volcano Grimsvotn, which has reached the Northern parts of Europe. DHL has implemented contingency plans to process shipments with only minimal delays.

The British Measurement & Testing Association (BMTA)

Sat, 02 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The British Measurement & Testing Association (BMTA) is the trade and technology association for laboratory-based organisations. The Association has almost 100 member organisations representing about 300 UKAS accredited laboratories. BMTA represents its members' interests to UKAS, BSI and Government Departments. Other membership features include technical events, news and information services, tender opportunities alerting, the opportunity to represent BMTA on BSI committees and free access to reports of the National Measurement System. BMTA also organises and contributes to the UK national membership of EUROLAB and has two places on the UKAS Policy Advisory Forum. http://www.bmta.co.uk.

Over 98% of our customers are satisfied with the overall performance of FAPAS

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

With most rating our service as good or excellent. Thank you to all the customers who took time to complete our 2010/11 customer satisfaction survey. We are pleased that you are happy with the service we provide and will be looking at your comments to help us improve our products, responsiveness and delivery in the future.

FAPAS Office closed for Easter Holidays

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

The FAPAS office is now closed until Tuesday 26th April. Your enquiry will be dealt with as soon as possible on our return

ADVANCE WARNING completed

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Due to scheduled maintenance both our public website and SecureWeb will be unavailable from: 18:00 until 20:00 on 04/04/2010 UK time.

Proficiency Test Instruction Letters

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Please note that we shall not be sending instruction letters with our proficiency test materials from 1st April 2011. Instruction letters will be available via the website in the "my orders" section.

Important changes to FAPAS ordering processes

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

From now on we shall now require your orders in advance of the dispatch date. The advance dates are as follows: FAPAS - 14 days before dispatch date, FEPAS - 30 days before dispatch date, GeMMA - 14 days before dispatch date, LEAP - 14 days before dispatch date. At this point the tests will be removed from the website. For prepayment orders please make sure that we have received your payment by the date indicated above.

Environmental Modelling and Risk Assessment for Pesticides

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Course on 9-10 May 2011, Sand Hutton, York, North Yorkshire, UK. The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) will be holding a 2-day course on Environmental Modelling and Risk Assessment for Pesticides. For further details please go to the Fera website at: http://www.fera.defra.gov.uk/events/environmentalModellingRiskAssessment.cfm.

The FIPS 2011 conference, Edinburgh from 6 – 8th June 2011

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 GMT

“Faecal Indicators: problem or solution? Has technical progress reduced the need for faecal indicators?” The FIPS 2011 conference is designed to address existing and emerging issues in environmental microbiology which offer exciting new challenges in microbiology, public health and environmental science which will assist in monitoring and modelling environmental systems to protect human health, animal welfare and environmental quality.More details of this event, including the Final Programme will be published on the website: www.FIPS2011.com

FAPAS Sugar Scheme

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

We have set up a programme of proficiency tests in the analysis of sugar and its products for dry matter by Brix and sucrose by polarimetry. These tests will be of particular interest to laboratories associated with sugar factories. Six proficiency tests are organised for the year at £150/€210 per test and there will be a discount for taking all six. If your laboratory is interested to take part please contact the FAPAS by email to info@fapas.com to discuss whether the tests are appropriate for your laboratory.

UPDATED PT programmes for 2011-12

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

PDF copies of our new 2011-12 programmes for FAPAS, FEPAS, GeMMA & LEAP schemes are available by contacting us

Advanced Warning RESOLVED

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Owing to scheduled downtime the server running many of Fera’s websites will be unavailable on Thursday 13th January between 12:05 and 12:45 (UK time)

FAPAS office is closed - 22/12/2010 to 04/01/2011

Wed, 22 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Our office is closed from 22 December until 04 January 2011. We would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! View the FERA Christmas Card here

New Style of FAPAS Report and update to Protocol part 1

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We are pleased to announce a new style of FAPAS reports which we hope you will find quicker and easier to read. Much of the standard text has migrated from the Report to the Protocol. The quality of the actual PT process remains the same and there has been no reduction of our standards. We hope to roll the changes out to the other schemes shortly.

Potential delays for test material deliveries

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 00:00:00 GMT

DHL has informed FAPAS that some delays may occur this week due to severe weather conditions across Europe. Please continue to track your shipments and contact FAPAS if you do not receive your parcel after 5 working days.

Welcome to the new FAPAS Website

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We hope you find our new look website easy and straightforward to use.

New Quality Control Materials for sale

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We are always adding new test materials to our list of available Quality Control materials so please search our product catalogue to check our current stock

ADVANCE WARNING Resolved

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Due to scheduled maintenance both our public website and SecureWeb will be unavailable from: 18:00 on 30/09/2010 until 20:00 on 30/09/2010 UK time.

REGISTER NOW! Authenticity of Basmati Rice, FAPAS 2937

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The first Basmati Rice proficiency test will be dispatched on
7 October 2010. Contact us now to order this round and download this leaflet for some background information.

International Conference - Water Contamination Emergencies:

Sat, 28 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Monitoring, Understanding, Acting to be held at Aquatorium, RWW Water Centre, Mülheim-an-der-Ruhr, Germany on 11th-13th October 2010. For further information, visit http://www.WCEC4.eu

FAPAS Office Closed 28 Aug - 1 September

Fri, 27 Aug 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The FAPAS Office will be closed over this period for the UK Bank Holiday and an essential IT upgrade. We will respond to your email queries as soon as we can.

ADVANCE WARNING Resolved

Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Due to scheduled maintenance both our public website and SecureWeb will be unavailable from: 18:00 on 01/07/2010 until 20:00 on 07/07/2010 UK time.

ADVANCE WARNING Resolved

Fri, 14 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Due to scheduled maintenance both our public website and SecureWeb will be unavailable from: 10:00 on 30/5/2010 until 08:00 on 31/5/2010 UK time.

11th Annual Fera/JIFSAN Symposium - 16th - 18th June 2010

Thu, 13 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Hosted by Fera, in collaboration with the Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN), this symposium will focus on Detection Technologies for Intentionally Added Adulterants/Contaminants. For the event flyer and the application form please follow the following link www.fera.defra.gov.uk

Continued Distruption by Volcanic Ash

Wed, 12 May 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The ash from the icelandic volcano continues to disrupt some international flights and so may delay the arrival of your test material. Please contact us within the usual timescales if your material has not arrived.

FAPAS Office Closed - 3 May

Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

We will be closed for the UK Bank Holiday on Monday 3 May. The office will re-open on 4 May.

Problem with automatic emailing of AWB numbers

Wed, 28 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

At the beginning of the week we had problems with the automatic emailing of DHL AWBs to customers. This has now been rectified but means that you will need to log into your account to track your parcel. Please let us know if your parcel has not arrived within 4 days of the advertised dispatch date.

Distribution of FAPAS Test Materials

Fri, 23 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

From Tuesday 27 April we will re-commence distributing our proficiency test materials in accordance with the advertised schedule. We will be contacting participants who have enrolled in a delayed test as soon as we have a new dispatch date. Please contact us if you have not received a proficiency test material that you are expecting and/or have not received any information regarding a delay/reschedule. We will also re-commence sending out Quality Control material orders on this date.

Continuing Delay for delivery of FAPAS Test Materials

Wed, 21 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Although the restriction of flights from the UK has been lifted, the closure of UK airspace since last Thursday (15 April) continues to affect the distribution of our test materials by both mail and DHL courier. Participants will be notified by email if their material dispatch has been delayed so please make sure we have your up to date email address.

Delay for delivery of FAPAS Test Materials

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

The current restrictions across UK controlled airspace due to the volcanic ash cloud will remain in place until at least 0100 BST on Tuesday 20 April. We have cancelled all dispatches for Monday and Tuesday and we shall update you of any changes.

ADVANCE WARNING Resolved

Fri, 09 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Due to scheduled maintenance both our public website and SecureWeb will be unavailable on Tuesday 13th April between 18:00 and 19:00 UK time.

UPDATED PT programmes for 2010-11

Tue, 06 Apr 2010 00:00:00 GMT

PDF copies of our new 2010-11 programmes for FAPAS, FEPAS, GeMMA Scheme & LEAP scheme are available by contacting us

FAPAS office closed for Easter Holiday

Wed, 31 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Please note that the FAPAS office will be closed because of the Easter Holiday from 13:00 on Thursday 1 April until 09:00 on Tuesday 6 April UK time

Authenticity of Basmati Rice - New for 2010 - 2011

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Basmati Rice proficiency tests are scheduled for dispatch on 14 April 2010 and 7 October 2010. Download more information here or contact us for more details.

ADVANCE WARNING Resolved

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Due to scheduled maintenance both our public website and SecureWeb will be unavailable on Monday 15th March between 18:00 and 18:30 UK time.

ADVANCE WARNING Resolved

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Due to scheduled maintenance both our public website and SecureWeb may be unavailable on Tuesday 23rd February between 17:00 and 22:00 UK time .

ADVANCE WARNING Resolved

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Due to scheduled maintenance both our public website and SecureWeb will be unavailable overnight from 17:30 Wednesday 16th to 08:00 Thursday 17th December UK time.

ADVANCE WARNING 10/12/2009 Resolved

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Due to scheduled maintenance both our public website and SecureWeb may be unavailable on Wednesday 9th December between 18:00 and 18:30

Problems with sending Airway Bill Numbers

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We have been experiencing problems sending AWB numbers from our database. We are currently working on a fix. FEPAS 148, 02145 and EFF017 have all been dispatched on the normal dispatch date. If you have not received your test material within 4 working days then please contact fapas at info@fapas.com

New Techniques for Food Assurance and Traceability, Fera, York, UK 17th December 200

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

This one day event aims to gather institutes and stakeholders of the food and beverage industries to inform decision makers of new techniques for food and beverage assurance and traceability. This FREE event (lunch included) will cover the following topics: new methods to verify the geographic origin of foods and beers, a novel technique to authenticate the species origin of gelatines, an innovative approach to verify the storage conditions of meat, existing procedures to verify feeding regimes in chicken. This workshop is part of the TRACE (Tracing the Origin of Food) FP6 research project, which is co-ordinated by Fera. Registration is required. Further information and registration details are available by clicking on the following link: http://www.trace.eu.org/admin/news/file/Trace%20workshop.pdf

ADVANCE WARNING

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Due to scheduled maintenance both our public website and SecureWeb will be unavailable on Monday 23rd November between 07:00 and 09:00. During this short period you will only see a 'down for maintenance' notice.

Potential UK Postal Strike on 22/23 October 2009

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The 24-hour strikes will begin on 22 October. On the first day, mail centre staff and drivers will strike. The next day it will be delivery and collection staff. Tests 1485, 1564 and 2436 are due to be dispatched on these days so you may experience a delay in the arrival of your material. If your material has not arrived within 10 working days then please contact FAPAS in the normal manner.

email problems FIXED

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

You should have no problems reaching us by email again. We apologise for any inconvenience you may have suffered

email problems

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

We are experiencing severe problems with the mail servers that handle all messages to and from our general email addresses.

Please be patient while we wait for this issue to be fixed.

If you need to contact us urgently please use our fax number

The 4th International Symposium on Recent Advances in Food Analysis (RAFA 2009)

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

RAFA 2009 will take place in the Diplomat Hotel Conference Centre, Prague, Czech Republic, 4–6 November 2009. Emphasis will be on advanced analytical & bioanalytical technologies and food analysis applications related to the following areas: - Residues and contaminants, - Authenticity, traceability, fraud, - Flavours and odours, - Processing and packaging contaminants, - Mycotoxins, marine and plant toxins, - Allergens, - Genetically modified organisms (GMO´s), - Nanoparticles, - Novel foods, nutritional supplements, organic food, - QA/QC and chemometrics in food analysis. The programme will include expert presentations followed by stimulating discussions. A state-of-the-art exhibition and enjoyable social programme will be organised for conference participants. Further information is available at the conference website http://www.rafa2009.eu

HOW TO TRACE THE ORIGIN OF FOOD, Autoworld, Brussels 2-3 December 2009

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

An International Food Traceability conference is being held at Autoworld, Brussels on 2-3 December 2009. The conference is part of the TRACE (Tracing the Origin of Food) FP6 research project, which is co-ordinated by Fera. The final TRACE conference aims to gather institutes and stakeholders working on traceability for the food sector in order to inform them about the project results. Further information and details are available by clicking on the following link: http://www.trace.eu.org/je/belgium/index.php

FAPAS NEWS

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Issue 2 of our Newsletter is now available - download here. REQUESTS FOR NEW TESTS - If you cannot find a proficiency test to suit your requirements in our current programmes, please let us know via our suggest a test facility

5th TRACE CONFERENCE, Germany, April 2009

Tue, 03 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The 5th TRACE conference "TRACE in practice: new methods and systems for confirming the origin of food" will take place in Freising, near Munich from 1-3 April 2009. The conference will showcase the latest developments in the area of food authentication and traceability. Details can be found at http://www.trace.eu.org/je/germany/index.php

LEAP 09/10 Programme now availableto order online

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Or request order forms as pdf or paper forms by emailing fapas@csl.gov.uk. If you usually order via a local agent you should request a copy from them.

FAPAS, FEPAS and GeMMA 09/10 Programme now available to order on line

Sat, 20 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Or request order forms as pdf or paper forms by emailing fapas@csl.gov.uk. If you usually order via a local agent you should request a copy from them.

FAPAS Office is closed - service will resume on 5 January 2009

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Our office is closed from 19 December until 5 January. We would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

PHYTOPAS - Plant Health Proficiency Testing

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Details of new programme starting February 2009 now available http://www.fapas.com/phytopas.cfm

Request for Information

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 00:00:00 GMT

We have had a request for participants in GeMMA who are EURAMET members to contact Dany.Morisset@nib.si. FAPAS operates a confidential service therefore we do not divulge information about participants to other parties. Therefore you are under no obligation to respond to Dany Morisset of National Institute of Biology (Vecna pot 111, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia) regarding this matter.

Bisphenol A in oil and 50% ethanol

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Proficiency test 1236 (March 09) is currently advertised as Bisphenol A in oil, however a new simulant for milk products has recently been introduced in EU food contact material legislation. The use of 50% ethanol as a food simulant was introduced in Commission Directive 2007/19/EC and this Directive states: "It has been shown that distilled water, which is used at present is not an adequate simulant for some milk products. It should be replaced by 50% ethanol, which better simulates their fatty character." This simulant (50% ethanol) will be added to the test as well as the oil already advertised. If you are interested in taking part in this proficiency test then please contact fapas@csl.gov.uk

Problem with automatic emailing of AWB numbers

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

This afternoon we have had a problem with the interface between our website and the DHL software we use to courier your samples. As a result you may have received an email regarding an old dispatch of a QC sample or proficiency test. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience caused.

International Society for Mycotoxicology Conference, Austria 2009

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Global discussion forum on: Worldwide Mycotoxin Reduction in Food and Feed Chains. 1st Announcement. Tulln/Vienna, Austria September 2009 Further Information from www.ism2009.at

FAPAS Customer Satisfaction Survey

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The survey is open for completion until 19 September. The survey is anonymous, but you can leave your email address if you wish to be contacted by FAPAS. Completing the survey means that we can learn from your experiences and ensure that our service is of the highest standard. Please go to the following link to complete the survey: http://www.fapas.com/customerFeedback.cfm

Requests for new tests

Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

If you cannot find a proficiency test to suit your requirements in our current programmes please let us know via our suggest a test facility

EURACHEM 6th International Workshop Rome 2008

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

EURACHEM 6th International Workshop on Proficiency Testing in Analytical Chemistry, Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine Rome, Italy (5) -6-7 October 2008 Updated programme and workshop information from www.iss.it/eurachem/

FAPAS® OPEN MEETING - 17 June 2008

Wed, 14 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

see the full programme here (register on this website - search open meeting in product search) OTHER EVENTS AT CSL – June 2008 CSL/JIFSAN Symposium - Developing responses to emerging global food safety issues (18-20 June) FAPAS® Open Meeting (17 June) CSL/FAPAS® Training Courses (16 June) For further details of these events visit the CSL website www.csl.gov.uk/newsAndResources/cslJifsan08.cfm/

4th TRACE CONFERENCE, Spain, April 2008

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

The 4th TRACE conference "Lost without TRACE: new approaches for tracing the origin of food" will take place in Torremolinos from 23-25 April 2008. The conference will showcase the latest developments in the area of food authentication and traceability. Details can be found at http://www.trace.eu.org/je/spain/index.php

Uncertainty in Azo Dye Methodology

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

One of our participants would like to discuss with other labs their use of measurement uncertainty in method validation for Azo dyes. If you have some experience in this matter that you are willing to share please contact Lisa Liebenberg at Ampath Esoteric Science (LisaL@ampath.co.za)

FAPAS® NEWS

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Our Newsletter is now available - download here.

FAPAS® OPEN MEETING - 17 June 2008

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Provisional Programme available from the CSL website: www.csl.gov.uk/training/ (register on this website - search open meeting in product search)

LEAP, FAPAS, FEPAS and GeMMA 08/09 Programme now available to order on line

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Or request order forms as pdf or paper forms by emailing fapas@csl.gov.uk. If you usually order via a local agent you should request a copy from them.

EVENTS AT CSL – June 2008

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

FAPAS® Open Meeting (register on this website - search open day in product search) CSL/JIFSAN Symposium - Developing responses to emerging global food safety issues CSL/FAPAS® Training Courses For further details of these events visit the CSL website: www.csl.gov.uk/training/ or contact our Training Manager, Helen Crevald - foodtraining@csl.gov.uk

EPPO Quality Assurance Workshop for Plant Pest Diagnosis

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Hello to everyone I met at the workshop last week. If you want to be kept informed about further developments in our plant health proficiency tests please send an email to fapas@csl.gov.uk and we'll add you to our mailing list. Kate

FAPAS/CSL TRAINING COURSES

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Details of the 2007 Training Programme are available from the CSL website For further or queries, please contact the Training Manager, Helen Crevald - foodtraining@csl.gov.uk

UK Postal Strikes

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Royal Mail (the UK Postal system) are continuing with a further set of strikes during October 2007. Your test material may therefore take a little longer to reach you than usual. However if your material has not arrived in 10 days (or 4 days if it was sent by courier) you must let us know so that we can keep the disruption to tests to a minimum.

New Proficiency Test for Authenticity of Olive Oil, October 2007

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Participants will receive three oil samples and will be asked to confirm if the labelling of these three samples is correct. e.g. one may be labelled as Extra Virgin Olive Oil but it may contain hazel nut oil and extra virgin olive oil. Laboratories would have to tell us if the label was correct i.e. if it was pure Extra Virgin Olive Oil using any analytical method that they think is suitable. If you are interested please register online (test 1466) or contact us for an order form. The test will start on 9 October 2007.

FAPAS Closed for Staff Training Thursday 20 September

Sat, 18 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The FAPAS office will be closed for staff training on Thursday 20 September - if you have a query on this day please send us an email and we will answer you as quickly as we can on Friday when the office re-opens.

Quality Control Test Material Sales – Increase in postage costs

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 00:00:00 GMT

From August 1 2007, due to increases in the prices charged by UK Royal Mail, we will be including a postage charge for all our Quality Control Test Material Sales. The charges depend on the order value and where you are in the world. The changes will be reflected on our website from 1 August 2007– all FAPAS® quotes issued prior to this will be valid for 30 days. The costs of our proficiency tests are unaffected. For more details on our postage charges see QC Materials - Carriage Prices

GeMMA - DNA Tests

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Due to requests from participants (and the recent GM rice outbreak) GeMMA has increased the variety of traits available. DNA proficiency tests are now available for GM rice, canola (oil seed rape), maize, potato and cotton. Participants will receive two 10ug DNA test materials for qualitative and quantitative analysis. Traits available are LLRice62 RT73 Canola Ms8 Canola Rf3 Canola T25 Maize EH92-527-1 Potato Bollgard 531 Cotton The first test is for LLRice62 and is due to start 24 May 2007. If you are interested please contact us or your agent for a GeMMA order form by 30 March.

Yorkshire Water Sludge Phyto-Conditioning (SPC) Process Seminar on 15 May, Shipley, UK

Mon, 19 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

This meeting will commence with three presentations outlining the background to the SPC process; how it was developed and the various future potential developments of this novel process which currently produces 5000 tonnes tds per annum of the SPC product. This will be followed by a tour of the process on the Esholt works with an optional tour of the Esholt sewage works Freshwater Fisheries (FFD) improvements. Esholt sewage works treats sewage for a population equivalent of 700,000. It is one of the largest sewage works in Yorkshire. Delegates will then return to the Esholt Conference Centre for tea/coffee and a final open discussion session to answer any queries or raise any relevant issues.Please see: www.http://www.soci.org/SCI/events/

New Proficiency Test Programme Commences 02/04/2007

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Our new FAPAS, FEPAS, GeMMA and LEAP programmes begin shortly please make sure we have received your order for the new year. You can order online or request paper forms and further details from fapas@csl.gov.uk

FAPAS Website and Email Planned Disruption 25-28 May

Sat, 17 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Essential maintenance must be carried out on the CSL IT servers over the weekend of 25-28 May. This will result in www.fapas.com being unavailable during some or all of this time, it is also possible that you will not be able to reach us by email during this period. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

3rd TRACE CONFERENCE, Crete, April 2007

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

The 3rd TRACE conference "Traceability: persepectives from science, the supply chain and the consumer" will take place in Crete from 25-27 April 2007. The conference will showcase the latest developments in the area of food authentication and traceability. Details can be found at www.trace.eu.org/je/greece/index.php

Proficiency Test Details for 2007/8 now available

Tue, 02 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

FAPAS, FEPAS, GeMMA and LEAP programmes are now available to browse and order online or through your local agent. Paper order forms also available - please contact us.

Best Wishes for 2007

Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:00:00 GMT

from everyone at FAPAS

Secure Web Back Up and Running 16:30

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

We have been informed that the problems with our website have now been fixed. We have extended the closing date for tests that finished on the 14 or 15 December to 21 December and apologise for the inconvenience caused. If you have sent us an e-mail and received an undelivered message you will need to e-mail us again. We will try to answer all the messages that have now got through as soon as possible.

FAPAS are Highly Commended at Defra Team Awards

Tue, 12 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The FAPAS team were recently recognised in the Excellence in Delivery Category in the awards given by our parent department - Defra. The award was presented to Dr Amanda Earnshaw by Permanent Secretary, Mrs Helen Ghosh. The award was given for our on-line results submission system and its underlying database as well as the positive response we received from our customers in our customer satisfaction survey.

12:53 SecureWeb offline

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

We are currently experiencing technical difficulties with the secure website due to problems with our service provider. We have raised this issue with them and hope to have it fixed shortly.

SecureWeb is still off-line

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

FAPAS apologises for the problems we are having with access to our secure website. This issue is also effecting our email system. We hope it will be resolved later today. Please keep trying or fax your results to us on +44 1904 462111 or +44 1904 462040. We will extend the deadline for tests ending on 14 or 15 December. We will accept results up to and including 21 December.

New FEPAS Packaging

Wed, 11 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT

We have been working with packaging consultants DGP (UK) Ltd to improve the durability of the boxes and the insulation used to deliver our test materials. Initially the boxes will just be for FEPAS but we are looking to extend the range in the future. So look out for our new style boxes which will be launched for FEPAS 117 at the end of this month.

With Regret

Fri, 29 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

We are sad to pass on news of the death of Dr William (Bill) Horwitz on September 27, 2006. We acknowledge the great contribution that he has made to the analytical community. He was AOAC’s Executive Director for 28 years, edited many editions of The Official Methods of Analysis and of course developed the Horwtiz equation that we use in the statistical analysis of so many of our proficiency tests.

Latest News: ISO 9001 Certification Awarded

Wed, 16 Aug 2006 00:00:00 GMT

CSL has gained Certification by Lloyds Quality Assurance for compliance to ISO 9001: 2000. If you require any further information please contact us, fapas@csl.gov.uk

Customer Satisfaction Survey

Fri, 28 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Thank you to all of our participants who took time to fill in our web-based customer satisfaction survey. We asked you to assess us on accessibility, responsiveness, test material and report quality, administration and the quality of our staff. Of the 359 participants who submitted their questionnaire, 90.5 % of you rated us as excellent or good. This information is incredibly useful to us and by using your feedback we will improve the quality of our service to you.

Environmental Effects of Nanoparticles and Nanomaterials.

Mon, 17 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

LONDON, Monday 18th- Tuesday 19th September 2006. There is only a few weeks to go before the abstract submission deadline! Short oral presentations of preliminary data, standard oral presentations, and posters are welcome. The meeting is a joint venture between the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry-UK branch (SETAC-UK, http://www.setac-uk.org.uk/index.htm ),the Society for Experimental Biology (SEB, http://www.sebiology.org.uk/index.asp), the Environment Agency, U.K., the Society of Chemical Industry (SCI, http://www.soci.org/SCI/index.jsp), and in collaboration with the Natural Environment Research Council and Defra. See the SETAC UK web site for registration forms and abstract submission details. http://www.setac-uk.org.uk/

XIIth International IUPAC Symposium on Mycotoxins and Phycotoxins

Thu, 13 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

21-25 May 2007

The meeting will comprise a number of plenary lectures reviewing methods of analysis and sampling, toxicity, chemistry, biochemistry, biomonitoring, risk assessment, etc. Poster sessions will also play an important part in the symposium and there will be concurrent instrument and manufacturers exhibition.

Click here for further information.

Knowledge Management for Food Safety

Wed, 05 Jul 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Central Science Laboratory (CSL) has a strong track record of delivering decision support information on-line. Using data from authoritative sources and presenting it clearly and simply, CSL's on-line tools can save time and expense in the drive to protect consumer safety and confidence by providing quick and easy access to global legislative limits for pesticides, veterinary drugs and mycotoxins, along with detailed pesticide approvals information in the UK.

Click here for further information
or

Contact d.hunt at csl.gov.uk

Tel: +44 (0)1904 462612

7th CSL/JIFSAN SYMPOSIUM 6-7 June 2006

Thu, 16 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

CSL and JIFSAN (USA) continue their successful series of annual meetings with a Symposium to be held in York (UK) entitled 'Quality Assurance in Food Safety - Networking of Laboratories'. For further details please go to the CSL website at: www.csl.gov.uk

TRACE 2nd Annual Meeting and Traceability and the Consumer Conference

Fri, 10 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The second annual TRACE meeting is being held on the 24 - 26 April in Prague, Czech Republic. For further details please go to the website at www.trace.eu.org/je/

Scientific Workshop in Prague 31st March 2006

Mon, 06 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

A workshop jointly organised by CSL (FAPAS) and the Department of Food Chemistry and Analysis, Institute of Chemical Technology. Please contact fapas@csl.gov.uk for further details. Directions to the Institute can be found on the Institute of Chemical Technology website.

NEW!! Proficiency Testing in Sugar Analysis

Thu, 09 Feb 2006 00:00:00 GMT

FAPAS are introducing new proficiency tests in the area of sugar analysis. The tests would include dry matter (brix) and sucrose content by polarisation in liquid sugar syrup (thick juice or low green). End product sugar would also be tested for sucrose by polarisation. Please contact us for more details.

EUROPEAN PESTICIDE RESIDUE WORKSHOP (EPRW) 2006

Mon, 09 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The 6th workshop will be held on 21-25 May 2006 on the island of Corfu, Greece. The objective of the workshop is to exchange information and experience and bring together analysts, pesticide regulators, and other scientists from residue regulation and control agencies, research institutes, universities, private laboratories, the food industry, regulatory bodies, the agrochemical industry and analytical equipment manufacturers and suppliers. More details of this event, including the Final Programme will be published on the website: www.eprw2006.com.

FAPAS Customer Feedback Questionnaire

Thu, 15 Dec 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Thank you for your feedback. The questionnaire is now closed.

Experiences with Plumbosolvency Treatment (RSC/CIWEM Meeting)

Mon, 07 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

8th February 2006,Severn Trent Water, Cropston Visitor Centre, Leicestershire LE7 7GB This seminar brings together experts and practitioners to review performance to date, share operational experiences and identify some of the emerging issues which need to be addressed by the Water Companies and Regulatory agencies. A not to be missed opportunity to hear direct from those involved. For further information please contact via E-mail: mark-s.smith@btinternet.com

New FAPAS Proficiency Tests

Tue, 11 Oct 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Due to participant demand we are pleased to inform you of two new FAPAS tests for an increased suite of illegal dyes in spices to be run in November and January. Please contact us for more details.

Enterobacteriaceae in Simulated Salad (Cucumber)

Tue, 11 Oct 2005 00:00:00 GMT

FEPAS have added Enterobacteriaceae in Salad to our list of services. This proficiency test will be run in February 2006. Please contact us for more details.

FEPAS - Using Tryptone Sulfite Neomycin (TSN) Agar

Fri, 23 Sep 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Foods contaminated with large numbers of vegetative cells of Clostridium perfringens can give rise to illness characterised by diarrhoea and abdominal pain which may be accompanied by vomiting. From previous FEPAS® assessments it was observed that laboratories using TSN agar were obtaining lower counts for Cl. perfringens compared to other laboratories that used alternative media. Due to the highly selective nature of this culture medium, the FEPAS® Advisory Committee considered that TSN agar results in lower recoveries than other media such as Tryptose Sulphite Cycloserine (TSC) agar. It was therefore concluded that TSN is inappropriate for the enumeration of Cl. perfringens.

International Food Safety Conference

Wed, 06 Jul 2005 00:00:00 GMT

NOVEL ANALYTICAL APPROACHES BEING USED IN FOOD SAFETY 26th and 27th September 2005 - Central Science Laboratory, York. Download more information here. For further details please go to the CSL website at: www.csl.gov.uk.

New technical briefs available

Thu, 26 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

The FAPAS Advisory Committee has identified some statistical documents that may be of interest to participants in all our schemes. These technical pdfs can be found on this website under AMC technical briefs on the further info tab.

Eurachem 5th Workshop for Proficiency Testing.

Mon, 11 Apr 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Proficiency Testing Workshop for Analytical Chemistry, Microbiology and Laboratory Medicine. Venue & Date: Portoroz, Slovenia, 25-27 September 2005. Download Final Circular and hotel information.

NEW!! Proficiency Test for Plant Health Bacteriology

Mon, 28 Feb 2005 00:00:00 GMT

FAPAS are currently running a pilot proficiency test for Plant Health Bacteriology. 3 vials will be distributed that contain different organisims. One will contain the target quarantine organism. The organisms will be freeze dried bacteria that have been isolated from potatoes. Please contact us for more details.

Proficiency Test for Tobacco

Mon, 28 Feb 2005 00:00:00 GMT

FAPAS will shortly be running a proficiency test for Genetically Modified Material in Tobacco this is in addition to the pesticides in tobacco run earlier this year. Further information on either of these tests is available from FAPAS.