Creation of a network of laboratories through PlantLibra

ICC, as partner of the PlantLIBRA consortium would like to invite interested laboratories and stakeholders to participate in an international network of laboratories capable of providing reliable high quality analytical data on plant and botanical preparations and/or to identify chemical and biological contaminants and/or assess irradiation treatment.

PlantLIBRA (acronym of Plant food supplements: Levels of Intake, Benefit and Risk Assessment, FP7 EC project number 245199) aims to foster the safe use of food supplements containing plants or botanical preparations, by increasing science-based decision-making by regulators and food chain operators.

PlantLIBRA - a project co-financed in the context of the 7^th EU Framework Program - spans 4 continents and 25 partners, comprising leading academics, small- and medium sized enterprises, industry and no-profit organizations. The project is structured to develop, validate and disseminate data and methodologies for risk and benefit assessment and implement sustainable international cooperation. During its four years of length, PlantLIBRA will directly achieve a meta-database containing data on plant food supplement consumption, as well as on biologically active substances and contaminants.

PlantLIBRA works closely with EFSA and plans also cooperation with competent authorities and stakeholders.

Network of laboratories - One of the objectives of the project (topic of Work Package 7 Investigation on botanical ingredients and Plant Food Supplements: plant identity, methods, new compounds, network of laboratories) is to create an international network of laboratories capable of providing reliable high quality analytical data on plant and botanical preparations, and to identify contaminants (chemical and biological) and irradiation treatment. Laboratories providing tools to ensure safe plant food supplements could support the work of international organizations (i.e. regulatory bodies) involved in food safety and also of food manufacturers in achieving high quality products. The network will provide analytical tools to European Poison Centres for fast identification of adverse effects to plant ingredients. The laboratories of the network (including beneficiaries of PlantLIBRA) can be public and private institutions performing regulatory and /or relevant analytical work .

Questionnaire - The attached questionnaire is addressed to laboratories that are interested in participating in the network. The document has been prepared in the form of a questionnaire in order to rapidly collect information about laboratories and to summarize attributes for participation in the network.