EMN Safe and Sustainable Food | Newsletter Issue 1 | September 2025

Metrology for Safe and Sustainable Food

The European Metrology Network for Safe and Sustainable Food (EMN Food) provides measurement science expertise to stakeholders involved in official food control and the food industry. By addressing priority metrological needs in close cooperation with stakeholders, the EMN contributes significantly to improving comparability and traceability of food related measurements in Europe and beyond.

Expertise in the EMN includes the trace analytical determination of food components and food contaminants along the chain from farm to fork as well as the development of matrix reference materials with established traceability.

Andrea Mario Rossi, Chair of EMN Food comments:

"The network effectively supports the implementation of a systematic, metrology-based approach to improve food safety and sustainability in Europe. This is achieved by focusing on advanced analytical techniques, reliable reference measurement tools, and solutions for sustainable food systems."

EMN Food will help to establish a reliable safe and diverse food measurement network, by acting as a central nucleus for measurement science activities and bringing together food control communities and the metrology community.

News from the EMN Food community

The Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) of the European Metrology Network for Safe and Sustainable Food is a foundational document guiding the network’s future activities and developments in metrology for food. EMN Food has now published the first version of its SRA on the EMN website.

Read the Strategic Research Agenda >>

EMN Food provides easy access to information on food-related metrology services delivered by its member institutes in a new platform. 

In  the 'EMN Safe and Sustainable Food: Service platform', these services are categorised for easy navigation and can be located using an interactive map and search filters.

Specific services include:

• Reference Materials: Providing certified reference materials essential for accurate food analysis.
• Proficiency Testing: Organising interlaboratory comparisons to assess and improve the performance of testing laboratories.
• Measurement Services: Offering a wide range of analytical services for food composition, contaminants, allergens, and more.
• Training and Consultation: Delivering expertise and training courses to enhance metrological capabilities in the food sector.
• Research and Development: Conducting cutting-edge research to develop new measurement methods and technologies for food safety and quality.

Access the platform >>

In February 2025 the consortium of the ‘Metrology for food safety in the circular economy: targeted and screening methods for contaminants in food and recycled packaging (ScreenFood)’ project and the EMN Food organised a stakeholder meeting on Safety of Sustainable Food Packaging – state of the art and needs for contaminant assessment.

The online workshop gathered more than 200 participants from different areas including industries such as food packaging, National Metrology Institutes, ScreenFood project representatives, researchers, laboratory experts and European institutions.

Read more about the meeting >>

Selected research projects related to EMN Food

The PlasticTrace project aims to address the urgent need for development and harmonisation of methods for the chemical identification, physical characterisation and quantification of released small micro/nanoplastics (SMPs/NPs) in drinking water, food and environmental matrices, as required by the EU’s Circular Economy Action Plan.

In this context, hyphenated and complementary analytical approaches will be developed, optimised, compared and harmonised, leading to the establishment of metrological traceability of measurements through robust validation studies. Novel and environmentally relevant SMP/NP reference materials will be developed within the project.

Read more about PlasticTrace>>

The overall aim of the ScreenFood project is to develop analytical strategies and reference materials supporting food and food packaging industries in the provision of safe and sustainable products compliant to legislation. The project will establish a metrological network able to provide, in collaboration with research centres and industries, innovative harmonised standards, internationally recognised, aimed at the detection and quantification of contaminants in food, with a focus on those possibly migrated from virgin and recycled food packaging materials. 

Read more about ScreenFood >>

Upcoming events

The next Annual General Meeting of EMN Food will take place on 25 September 2025, 09:00 – 12:30 CEST in Ljubljana, Slovenia and online.
The meeting is organised as a satellite event of the 8th IMEKOFOODS conference.

For more details, see the event page >>

EMN for Safe and Sustainable Food Members and Contacts

An overview of EMN Food Members, Partners and Contact Persons can be found at the network's website >>

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Disclaimer
Project information and links published in the current issue of the EURAMET newsletter are correct to the best of EURAMET's knowledge and in accordance with the current state of the art. EURAMET cannot be held responsible for the sufficiency or fitness for purpose of any information.The technologies presented in this newsletter may be covered by intellectual property rights.