METROFOOD-RI: A new reality to develop Reference Materials for the agrifood sector

Abstract

METROFOOD-RI is a new Research Infrastructure (ESFRI Domain "Health & Food") aimed at promoting metrology in food and nutrition constituted by an organised network of physical and electronic facilities allowing to perform cross-cutting research activities and deliver advanced services addressed to different categories of users: research/academy, food inspection and control agencies/policy makers, food business operators, consumers/citizens. Among the core-services of METROFOOD-RI, there is the development and production of new (certified) Reference Materials (RMs). The RI includes in fact - among its physical facilities - an integrated network of plants and laboratories specialised in the production and characterisation of new RMs for the agrifood sector. As further added value, thanks to its network of experimental fields, farms and pilot production plants, METROFOOD-RI is also able to produce the raw materials to be used for preparing the RMs themselves and therefore, so being able to realize customized RM perfectly meeting the user's needs. The capability of producing food matrix RMs has been recently tested during the "Early Phase" of METROFOOD-RI (H2020 INFRADEV-02-2016 PRO-METROFOOD, G.A. 739568), by implementing a specific pilot service dedicated to the development and characterization of new RMs of rice grains, rice flour and oyster tissue.