The Government Chemist Review 2008, in which LGC's work for the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) for the year 2008 is summarised, is now available to all stakeholders.
Key points of this year's review include how LGC continued to support the independent Government Chemist function by providing facilities, expertise and links with the wider analytical community and particularly through research and development programmes funded by DIUS to explore and exploit novel areas of measurement science.
The review reported progress on: new methods for measuring allergens in food, speciation of trace elements for nutritional and healthcare benefit, a powerful platform for isotope-based investigative analysis, a digital approach to DNA measurement and novel technology for cell biology research.
The Government Chemist advises interested stakeholders, including government and industry, on how analytical measurement links into policy, standards and regulation.
The Reach regulation continued to be a high priority as LGC extended its seminar programme into the Yorkshire region and published up-to-the-minute guidance to help companies entering substance information exchange forum (SIEF) arrangements tackle the question of sameness between their chemical products.
The Government Chemist has statutory roles and is appointed by the Secretary of State to advise government, industry and all concerned on the dependencies between analytical chemistry, policy, standards and regulation.
LGC, as the designated national measurement institute for chemical and bioanalysis, co-ordinates the Government Chemist's innovation base and science and technology programme at Teddington, Middlesex, UK.
