Inter-laboratory studies are organized in order to perform external quality assessment of the laboratories involved in the official control of foods in accordance with the provisions of the art. 101 of Regulation (EC) 625/2017.
The aim is to improve the laboratories' experience in the use of standard methodologies for the detection of STEC strains and other pathogenic groups of E. coli, such as: Enteroaggregative E. coli (EAggEC), Enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), Enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC) and others. These pathogens represent an important cause of diarrhea in low income countries, but they can cause traveller's diarrhea and they have also been associated with sporadic cases and foodborne outbreaks in industrialized countries.
The reports with the overall results of the comparative tests conducted over the years are attached to this section.
Since the NRL for E. coli is also the European Reference Laboratory (EURL) for this pathogen, national studies are conducted at the same time as those dedicated to the NRLs for E. coli of EU Member States and third countries. The European study reports are available in the "Proficiency Tests" section of the EURL-VTEC website.
