The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) has unveiled ERM®-BD300, a rice-based certified reference material designed to improve the accuracy of laboratory testing for cereulide, a toxin produced by Bacillus cereus. Cereulide is heat-resistant and can cause food poisoning, with symptoms ranging from nausea and vomiting to, in rare cases, liver failure and death. Outbreaks are often linked to improperly stored or handled rice and starch-rich foods.
ERM®-BD300 provides a precisely calibrated concentration of cereulide, enabling laboratories to verify that their analytical methods are accurate and consistent. The reference material is specifically aligned with ISO 18465, an international standard for cereulide measurement using mass spectrometry, allowing for reliable cross-laboratory comparisons and method validation.
By supporting accurate testing, ERM®-BD300 strengthens food safety enforcement and public health protection. It allows laboratories to detect potential errors, ensure compliance with safety standards, and provide early warning for contamination risks, helping prevent large-scale food poisoning incidents.
The JRC, which distributes around 20,000 units of approximately 650 non-nuclear reference materials annually, emphasizes the importance of scientific tools in underpinning regulatory inspections and food safety monitoring. ERM®-BD300 is expected to reinforce global laboratory capabilities, particularly in monitoring starch-based foods prone to cereulide contamination, thereby improving consumer protection across the EU and beyond.
