Brooks Applied Lab’s own,
Hakan Gürleyük and
Ben Wozniak, recently co-authored a
publication with scientists from around the world that supported the development of a new certified reference material (CRM) for arsenic species and toxic trace elements in rice flour. Rice is one of the most produced grains in the world and is a major component of many infants’ diets due to its high carbohydrate content, palatability, and low allergenic potential. In 2019, a Canadian Broadcasting Company
reported on elevated concentrations of inorganic arsenic in some baby foods sold in Canada. As a result, a team of experts was brought together to swiftly respond to the demand for a new CRM to assist the analytical testing community in validating the quality of their methodology. Using a “rapid response approach” for this CRM (NRCC BARI-1), the new material was certified in a few months instead of the typical 2–3 years. Brooks Applied Labs was the only commercial laboratory that participated in this certification process.
