The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) responsibility for maintaining a safe food supply is met in part by monitoring for toxic and nutritional elements and radionuclides in food and related products. FDA collects and analyzes food and foodware from commercial channels of trade for determining regulatory compliance. Analytical data gathered under these monitoring activities are also used for evaluating the extent and significance of these analytes in the food supply.
The Elemental Analysis Manual (EAM) for Food and Related Products is being developed to provide a repository of the analytical methods used in FDA laboratories to examine food for toxic and nutrient elements and radionuclides for regulatory purposes. The manual will also provide general guidance on related aspects of a laboratory analysis. This ambitious task is being accomplished by the EAM Editorial Board and other appointed technical experts. Sections of the EAM will be issued as they become available.
Currently, the EAM's table of contents (including cover and staff) (44 KB) and two analytical methods, foodware by flame AAS (80KB) and foodware by graphite furnace AAS (revised April, 2000) (182KB), are available in Adobe Acrobat portable document format (pdf).
Food
Food Labeling
Food Additives
Foodware
Food Packaging
Special Nutritional Foods
Regulatory Procedures Manual
Compliance Policy Guides
Compliance Program Guidance Manual
Investigations Operation Manual
Laboratory Procedures Manual
Choice of Method
Documentation
Food
Foodware
Packaging
Special Nutritional Foods
Compositing
Comminuting Equipment
Comminuting Procedures
Test Sample Decomposition
Contamination Control
Special Calculations
Analytical Limits
Elements
Organometallics
Certifying Organizations
In-House Reference Materials
General Laboratory Equipment
Special Laboratory Equipment
Analytical Instruments
Analytical Instruments
General Laboratory Equipment
Food
Dietary Supplements
Herbal Supplements
Medical Foods
Foodware
Performance Based Methods
Addition of New Methods
Extenstion of EAM Methods
For further information about the Elemental Analysis Manual, contact Stephen Capar, scapar@cfsan.fda.gov.