OBJECTIVETo develop the first grade standard analytical reference material of bovine blood lead.

METHODSAccording to standards and technology specification of primary standard reference material (JJG1006-1994), ISO 17511, and volume-effect relationship, a bovine blood lead model was developed by adding acetate lead in the feed in dose of 2-5 mg x kg(-1) x d(-1). Cow blood was collected when blood lead concentration went up to low, medium and high concentration range (90-100, 190-200, 280-300 microg/L). Blood sample was kept in tube and frozen after irradiation. The samples were tested for homogeneity and stability. ID-MS method was used to measure the lead concentration through comparison with two standard lead samples from the USA NIST SRM 955b.

RESULTSSamples of the three lead concentrations showed uniformity by single factor analysis of variance (F = 0.61, 1.64, 0.28, respectively, P > 0.05) . After 14 months monitoring, the RSD was 0.85%, 1.05% and 0.49% (t = 0.787, 1.132, 0.854, respectively, P > 0.05). The characteristic and indefinite values were 102.4 +/- 5.5; 181.2 +/- 4.0; 304.5 +/- 3.9, respectively (unit: microg/L). The reproduction of the two USA NIST SRM 955b samples further showed our methods and procedures were correct. Our sample was stabile for four days at room temperature.

CONCLUSIONThe standard reference material of bovine in our research had reached the national standard material requirements.

Animal Feed ; Animals ; Blood Chemical Analysis ; standards ; Cattle ; Lead ; blood ; Male ; Models, Animal ; Reference Standards

Eight major policies were implemented by Japanese Government since Oct. 2001, to deal with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE). These are; 1) Surveillance in farm by veterinarian, 2) Prion test at healthy 1.3mi cows/yr, by veterinarian, 3) Elimination of specified risk material (SRM), 4) Ban of MBM for production, sale use, 5) Prion test for fallen stocks, 6) Transparent information and traceability, 7) New Measures such as Food Safety Basic Law, and 8) Establish of Food Safety Commission in the Cabinet Office. At this moment, the extent of SRM risk has only been indicated by several reports employing tests with a limited sensitivity. There is still a possibility that the items in the SRM list will increase in the future, and this indiscriminately applies to Japanese cattle as well. Although current practices of SRM elimination partially guarantee total food safety, additional latent problems and imminent issues remain as potential headaches to be addressed. If the index of SRM elimination cannot guarantee reliable food safety, we have but to resort to total elimination of tissues from high risk-bearing and BSE-infected animals. However, current BSE tests have their limitations and can not yet completely detect highrisk and/or infected animals. Under such circumstances, tissues/wastes and remains of diseased, affected fallen stocks and cohort animals have to be eliminated to prevent BSE invading the human food chain systems. The failure to detect any cohort should never be allowed to occur, and with regular and persistent updating of available stringent records, we are at least adopting the correct and useful approach as a reawakening strategy to securing food safety. In this perspective, traceability based on a National Identification System is required.
Animal Feed/*standards ; Animals ; Cattle ; Consumer Product Safety/*legislation&jurisprudence ; Encephalopathy, Bovine Spongiform/epidemiology/*prevention&control ; Female ; Food Chain ; Japan/epidemiology ; Meat/*standards ; Risk Assessment ; Risk Management