New certified material strengthens cereulide detection
In the complex landscape of European food safety, the reliability of laboratory results is a fundamental prerequisite for protecting public health. The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) has announced the development of a new certified reference material designed to improve the detection of cereulide in food safety laboratories.
This toxin has been linked to serious food poisoning outbreaks and requires rigorous analytical protocols. The introduction of this new tool represents not only a technical advancement but also a systemic response to the need for more accurate monitoring of starch-rich foods.
Through standardized procedures and traceable reference materials, the European Union aims to improve the quality of analytical measurements and ensure stronger protection for consumers.
What cereulide is and why it matters
Cereulide is a toxin produced by the bacterium Bacillus cereus, responsible for severe forms of food poisoning. The risk is closely associated with foods that contain high levels of starch, such as rice, pasta and potato-based dishes, which are the most common sources of outbreaks linked to this pathogen.
When these foods become contaminated, the toxin can develop in concentrations capable of causing significant illness in those who consume them. Cereulide is also heat resistant, meaning it is not easily eliminated through cooking.
From a food safety perspective, one of the main challenges lies in accurately identifying and quantifying cereulide within complex food matrices. Detecting the toxin requires analytical methods capable of precise quantitative determination in order to assess the real risk for consumers.
A new scientific tool for laboratory testing
To address this challenge, scientists at the JRC laboratories developed the ERM®-BD300 reference material.
This certified material is rice-based and specifically designed to evaluate the performance of analytical methods and support internal quality control in laboratories. The choice of cooked rice as the matrix is intentional, since starch-based dishes are among the most common vectors for cereulide-related food poisoning.
One of the most innovative aspects of ERM®-BD300 is the precision with which the toxin concentration has been determined. Researchers selected a strategic concentration level. It is lower than the threshold associated with the onset of symptoms in adults, according to published scientific data, but higher than the limit of quantification of current analytical methods.
This balance allows laboratories to assign a reliable reference value when validating their measurements.
A reference standard for scientific quality
A key pillar of the initiative is alignment with the international standard ISO 18465. This standard defines a specific laboratory method for measuring cereulide in foods using mass spectrometry analysis.
By integrating the ERM®-BD300 reference material into protocols based on ISO 18465, laboratories can verify the accuracy of their existing analytical methods or validate new procedures for detecting, identifying and quantifying the toxin.
The use of international standards supported by certified reference materials reduces uncertainty in laboratory results and strengthens confidence in the decisions made by food safety authorities.
Without reliable comparison materials, laboratories risk producing inconsistent data that could undermine the effectiveness of food safety policies. The new certified reference material therefore acts as a safeguard for scientific quality, ensuring that each analysis follows a rigorous and internationally recognized validation process.