Press release ILVO victim of forged validation reports for commercial rapid screening test kits for antibiotic residues

ILVO (Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food) has been alerted to the circulation of a counterfeit validation report relating to a screening test kit intended for the detection of antibiotic residues. This alarming discovery follows a report from an international dairy company that uses rapid screening test kits as part of its routine quality control of incoming milk.

ILVO has an expert laboratory for residue analysis that provides an independent evaluation service for commercial screening test kits. During such evaluations, the test kits in question are rigorously assessed for their performance in accordance with European guidelines and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/808. Evaluations include the detection sensitivity for antibiotic residues in relation to their legally permitted Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs), the reliability, and the robustness of the test kit.

The forged report comprises 37 pages and describes a purported (in reality fictitious but seemingly plausible) evaluation procedure allegedly conducted on a test kit developed in China. The fabricated conclusion claims that the test kit is "reliable and specific" for detecting traces of antibiotics in raw milk.

Statement:

This is a high-quality forgery whose aim appears to be fraudulent competition with legitimate competitors who use tests that have been properly validated by ILVO.

ILVO is deeply concerned and outraged by the existence of this fraudulent validation report and about the misuse of its name, reputation, logo and employee signatures.

ILVO is taking the following immediate actions:

- All parties involved in the dissemination of the forged ILVO report are being instructed to remove and destroy the counterfeit document in every location where it was distributed, and to publicly and prominently acknowledge their error.
- ILVO is filing an official complaint to investigate who is responsible for this criminal act and who assisted in the distribution of the fraudulent reports, as the first step toward possible legal action.
- ILVO is informing its international contacts and stakeholders in the sector about this case of fraud and urges all parties to contact ILVO directly should there be any doubt regarding the authenticity of a report.
- ILVO will promptly respond to any request to confirm the authenticity of validation reports upon simple request.