LGC Standards has been appointed to administer the International Stevia Council's (ISC's) independent Proficiency Testing (PT) programme for stevia products.
A variety of analytical methods and reference standards are currently being used within the industry to determine steviol glycoside content.
This variance has led to inconsistent quality of the analytical methods and reference standards used, which, in turn, may result in inaccurate and inconsistent representation of stevia product composition and purity levels.
From its new facility in Bury, UK, LGC Standards will administer the PT scheme on behalf of the ISC to ensure the quality of global stevia testing.
The LGC Standards-administered PT scheme will allow participants to benchmark the performance of their methods, analytical standards and analysts' competency in a statistically relevant blind testing scheme managed in accordance with international quality standards.
Ensuring that analytical methods and standards employed are appropriate and meet minimum levels of accuracy will help to protect the market viability of stevia-based products.
LGC Standards has implemented numerous international proficiency testing schemes in global industries such as food and beverage, cosmetic and toiletry, forensic toxicology, water analysis and animal feed.
Stevia is a plant of the Asteraceae (sunflower) family whose leaves are used as a sweetener in South America.
Extracts of the stevia leaf have been available as food additives (sweeteners) and/or dietary supplements in many countries around the world.
