Tuesday June 28, 2022
On June 22, ARISE+ Viet Nam Project, together with the Plant Protection Department (PPP) successfully organized a training on the Proficiency Testing program and interlaboratory comparison in accordance with ISO/ IEC 17043:2011. The training was held in an online format, led by expert Mai Thanh Binh - Quality Manager of Eurofins Sac Ky Hai Dang, with the participation of many staff from the two PPD Northern and Southern Pesticide Testing and Control Centres.
Quality control for domestic agricultural products is an important step in the process of exporting products to Europe. In order to support the need for pesticide quality control and pesticide residue analysis in Vietnam, the Plant Protection Department has established a network of laboratories, including laboratories established under different ministries and private sector. However, the accuracy of the analysis carried out by these laboratories cannot be guaranteed by PPD because of the lack of PT within this laboratory network, especially the Proficiency Testing program in accordance with ISO/ IEC 17043:2011. This led to delays in the testing process and hindering export progress.
With financial support from the European Union, ARISE+ Viet Nam project has implemented the activity “Upgrading of the two PPD laboratories responsible for pesticide quality testing and residue analysis so they can manage inter-laboratory comparison in accordance with ISO 17043” to build capacity, improve reliability and participate in residue testing for export. The training well equipped PPD officers with in-depth knowledge of ISO 17043 which will expectedly enable PPD to provide stronger assurances of the testing capability for the supporting laboratories. In the long term, it contributes to the improvement of efficiency and turn-around time for pesticide and residue testing as more internationally recognised laboratories become available to exporters, thereby helping to speed up the export process.
Mr. Mai Thanh Binh - expert from ARISE+ Viet Nam project - said: "Proficiency testing program and interlaboratory comparison are one of the tools to ensure quality, ensure reliable test results to assess the suitability of products. Not only that, they are also a tool for the Plant Protection Department to evaluate the quality of the laboratories designated by the Department to check the quality of the products and ensure that the results of these laboratories are completely reliable."
Training on statistical data treatment, ISO/IEC 17043, design of proficiency testing schemes, proficiency testing report and organization of a proficiency testing formula will continue to be jointly conducted by the ARISE+ Viet Nam Project and the Plant Protection Department in July and May 2022.
