The Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (IRMM) will help the JRC remain at the forefront of the field by developing standards that can be used as benchmarks in laboratories both in Europe and across the world, unit head Professor Hendrik Emons told FoodProductionDaily.com.
The €11m facility, sited in Geel, Belgium, will be used to produce reference materials. These possess a precisely known property and can be used as the basis for complex measurements, such as the number of bacteria or the amount of genetically modified maize in a food sample.
The unique facility features a large production hall which brings together processing and measuring equipment. The IRMM will provide Europe with a way of producing reference materials that bridge the gap between laboratory and industrial scale, said Prof Emons.