ISO 13493-2021 PDF

Full title and description

St ISO 13493-2021 — Meat and meat products — Determination of chloramphenicol content — Reference method. This international standard specifies liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC‑MS/MS) as the reference analytical method and also describes a liquid chromatography (LC) procedure for higher concentrations, for determination of chloramphenicol residues in muscle, casing and liver of meat and meat products from livestock and poultry.

Abstract

ISO 13493:2021 defines analytical procedures for detecting and quantifying chloramphenicol in meat matrices. The document establishes LC-MS/MS as the reference method capable of detecting levels down to around 0.1 µg/kg, and an LC method suitable for determinations above approximately 6.5 mg/kg. It notes that severely deteriorated test samples are not suitable for analysis by these methods.

General information

• Status: Published.
• Publication date: August 2021.
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 67.120.10 (Meat and meat products).
• Edition / version: Edition 2 (2021).
• Number of pages: 16.

Scope

This standard gives validated laboratory methods for the determination of chloramphenicol residues in meat and meat products, including muscle tissue, casing and liver from livestock and poultry. It specifies sample preparation, chromatographic conditions, detection by LC‑MS/MS (reference method) and an LC screening method for higher concentrations; it is intended for routine control and confirmatory testing in food‑safety laboratories.

Key topics and requirements

• Reference analytical technique: LC‑MS/MS procedure for sensitive detection and confirmation of chloramphenicol residues (reference method).
• Secondary technique: liquid chromatography (LC) method for higher concentration determinations (screening/quantification above ~6.5 mg/kg).
• Sample types covered: muscle, casing and liver of meat and meat products (livestock and poultry).
• Performance characteristics: method detection limits, quantification limits and suitable calibration/quality‑control practices as specified in the standard.
• Limitations: unsuitable for heavily deteriorated samples; laboratories must follow specified chromatographic and mass spectrometric conditions for reproducible results.

Typical use and users

Primary users are food‑safety and veterinary control laboratories, public‑health laboratories, food inspectors, food analysts, and research laboratories concerned with residue monitoring and compliance testing for banned or controlled antimicrobials in meat products. The standard supports regulatory implementation, surveillance programmes and confirmatory analyses in accredited laboratories.

Related standards

ISO 13493:2021 revises and replaces ISO 13493:1998 (withdrawn). It is part of a broader suite of ISO and regional standards dealing with residue analysis and method validation for veterinary drugs and contaminants in food of animal origin. Laboratories often use ISO 17025 (general laboratory competence) alongside this method for accreditation and quality assurance.

Keywords

Chloramphenicol, meat, meat products, LC‑MS/MS, liquid chromatography, residue analysis, reference method, veterinary drug residues, method validation, food safety.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 13493:2021 is an international standard that specifies reference and complementary laboratory methods for determining chloramphenicol residues in meat and meat products (muscle, casing, liver), with LC‑MS/MS as the reference technique.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers sample preparation, chromatographic and mass spectrometric conditions, performance characteristics and limitations for analysis of chloramphenicol in the specified meat matrices. It provides both a highly sensitive LC‑MS/MS confirmatory method and an LC procedure for higher concentration measurements.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Food‑safety laboratories, regulatory agencies, accredited testing laboratories, food technologists and researchers involved in veterinary‑drug residue surveillance and compliance testing.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: Current — ISO 13493:2021 (published August 2021) is the active version; it supersedes and replaces ISO 13493:1998.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: It is associated with other ISO and national standards addressing residue analysis, method validation and laboratory accreditation (for example, methods for other veterinary drugs and ISO/IEC 17025 for laboratory competence), but it is a standalone method standard for chloramphenicol.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Chloramphenicol, LC‑MS/MS, liquid chromatography, meat, residue analysis, reference method, food safety.