Hwaseong City Named Top-Tier Analysis Institution for 2nd Consecutive Year in International Residual Pesticide Proficiency Assessment

[Suwon Ilbo=Park Chan-hyuk, Reporter] Hwaseong Special City announced on the 7th that it has received the top-tier rating (Laboratory of Excellence) for the second consecutive year in the 'International Residual Pesticide Proficiency Assessment' overseen by the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) of the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The International Residual Pesticide Proficiency Assessment (FAPAS, Food Analysis Performance Assessment Scheme) is an assessment of agricultural and food chemical analysis capabilities that compares the proficiency of testing and analysis institutions and analysts in fields such as residual pesticides, heavy metals, and food additives.

With high international recognition, government agencies such as food and drug administration offices, agricultural product quality management authorities, and agricultural science institutes from countries around the world participate in the assessment each year, along with research institutes and private analysis institutions.

The Hwaseong City Agricultural Technology Center (Director Song Seong-ho) received the 'satisfactory' grade for all 11 components, with 2 components (Chlorpyrifos(ethyl), Methamidophos) achieving a Z-score of '0' indicating excellence, while the remaining 9 components also received superior ratings with absolute values below '1'.

A Z-score value of 0 indicates excellence, with values closer to 0 indicating superior analysis results, and institutions receiving high scores with absolute values of 2 or below are recognized globally as possessing world-class analysis capabilities.

Song Seong-ho, Director of Hwaseong City Agricultural Technology Center, stated, "The fact that Hwaseong City Agricultural Technology Center has received excellent ratings for the second consecutive year in the international residual pesticide proficiency assessment demonstrates our analysis reliability and technical capabilities," and added, "We will continue to strengthen our analysis capabilities to ensure reliability and work toward supplying safe Hwaseong agricultural products."