National Institute of Standards and Technology

Health Assessment Measurements Quality Assurance Program

100 Bureau Drive, Stop 8390

Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-8390

E-mail: HAMQAP@nist.gov

Website: https://qa.nist.gov/hamqap

March 16, 2021

Dear Colleagues,

Thank you for your interest and/or past participation in NIST Quality Assurance Programs (QAPs). 

Exercise 7 of the Health Assessment Measurement Quality Assurance Program (HAMQAP) will be open 

for sign up on March 22, 2021. HAMQAP is designed to help natural product, food, and clinical 

laboratories demonstrate measurement competence as well as to learn about the measurement 

capabilities of the community and help improve measurement capabilities through education. Exercise 7

will be comprised of the studies listed below. A brief description of each study is provided to describe

the rationale for conducting the study and how the intake and metabolism studies relate, as appropriate. 

Participants may elect to sign up for some or all studies, as applicable to the work done in their 

laboratories. Laboratories may elect to participate in specific sample sets (e.g., dietary intake versus 

human metabolites), and may also elect to report selected analytes (e.g., only reporting total arsenic, but 

not individual species). Laboratories participating in human metabolites studies must have proper 

facilities (e.g., biosafety level 2 laboratory or equivalent) and training prior to conducting work with 

human fluids.

HAMQAP Exercise 7 is supported by the National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements 

(NIH-ODS). As a result, participation in HAMQAP is free of charge; although participants will be 

required to pay for the cost of sample shipment by providing NIST with a shipping account number 

using UPS, FedEx (including TNT Express), or DHL. International participants must provide an import 

shipping account number, if applicable. Participants are responsible for all incurred shipping charges, 

including those that may result from shipments being returned to NIST because of customs clearance 

issues. Under no circumstances are participants paid to participate in HAMQAP.

Instructions for sign up for new and existing participants are attached. The call for participation will 

close on April 16, 2021, and samples will be distributed in July 2021.

We hope that within this exercise you will find studies that are of interest and use to your laboratory. If 

you have any suggestions for studies or would like more information regarding HAMQAP and our other 

QAPs, please send your request to hamqap@nist.gov or visit https://qa.nist.gov/.

Please let us know if you have questions. We look forward to your participation in this and future 

HAMQAP exercises.

Best regards,

HAMQAP Team
HAMQAP EXERCISE 7 STUDY DESCRIPTIONS

Nutritional Elements

Consumers expect labeling information to be accurate on the food and dietary supplement products they 

purchase in order to make informed choices. In the U.S., accurate measurements of nutrients are needed 

to ensure compliance with the Food and Drug Administration regulations on the levels claimed on 

Nutrition Facts and Supplement Facts labels. Certain foods are often fortified with trace minerals, and 

these nutrients are also increasingly found in nutritionally fortified waters. Appropriate levels of trace 

minerals are essential for the body to function properly, and deficiencies or excess consumption can lead 

to potential health risks. Testing of these minerals in nutritionally supplemented water can help ensure 

accurate product labeling while testing in biological samples such as serum can be used to determine health 

status and nutrient deficiencies for individuals or within a population.

Dietary Intake Study

Analytes: Zn, Mg, and Ca

Matrices: Nutritionally Fortified Water

Human Metabolism Study

Analytes: Zn, Mg, and Ca

Matrices: Human and Animal Serum

Toxic Elements

Plant uptake of toxic elements from the air, water, or soil may result in contamination of certain foods and 

dietary supplements. Furthermore, the processing of plant materials may also increase the mass fractions 

of these toxic elements in consumer products. Consumption of such contaminated foods can cause illness, 

impairment or, at high doses, death. Testing of these environmental toxins in foods and supplements can 

help ensure product safety while testing in biological samples such as serum can identify exposure and 

risk.

Dietary Intake Study

Analytes: As, Cd, Pb, and Hg

Matrices: Black Cohosh Extract and

Ashwagandha Extract

Human Metabolism Study

Analytes: As, Cd, Pb, and Hg

Matrices: Human and Animal Serum

Water-Soluble Vitamins

Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) and vitamin B6 are water-soluble vitamins, present in some foods both naturally 

and through fortification, and available as dietary supplements. Vitamin B2 has major roles in energy 

production; cellular function, growth, and development; and metabolism of fats, drugs, and steroids. 

Vitamin B6 is important for a wide variety of functions in the body, particularly in protein and amino acid

metabolism. Vitamin B6 vitamers are also involved in the biosynthesis of neurotransmitters, in maintaining 

normal levels of homocysteine in the blood, in gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis, in immune functions,

and in hemoglobin formation. Testing of these vitamins in foods and supplements can help ensure accurate 

dietary intake estimates and product labeling; while testing for vitamins, metabolites, and related 

compounds in biological samples such as serum can be used to determine health status and nutrient 

deficiencies for individuals or within a population.

Dietary Intake Study

Analytes: Vitamins B2 and B6

Matrices: Multivitamin, Protein Powder

Human Metabolism Study

Analytes: Vitamin B2 and B6, Homocysteine

Matrices: Human Serum
Fat-Soluble Vitamins

Vitamin K is a family of fat-soluble vitamins found in some foods and available as a dietary supplement.

Vitamin K has important functions in homeostasis and bone metabolism. The naturally occurring 

compounds include phylloquinone (vitamin K1) and menaquinones (vitamin K2), each having multiple 

forms. Food sources of phylloquinone include vegetables, especially green leafy vegetables, vegetable 

oils, and some fruits. Meat, dairy foods, and eggs contain low levels of phylloquinone but modest amounts 

of menaquinones. Fermented foods, such as natto, cheeses, and sauerkraut, can contain high amounts of 

menaquinones, varying in levels depending on the bacteria present and the fermentation conditions. 

Vitamin K deficiency has been linked to osteoporosis and coronary heart disease. The population groups 

most likely to have inadequate vitamin K are newborns not treated with vitamin K at birth and people with 

malabsorption disorders. There have been no findings on adverse effects of excessive vitamin K intake, 

though some anticoagulant medications (notably Warfarin (Coumadin®)) antagonize vitamin K activity

and certain other medications can reduce vitamin K levels (e.g., antibiotics, bile acid sequestrants). It is 

important that testing labs use fit-for-purpose methods and standards that can support reliable and accurate 

measurements for nutritional labeling and diagnostic and clinical testing. 

Dietary Intake Study

Analytes: Vitamin K

Matrices: Multivitamin, Kelp

Human Metabolism Study

Analytes: Vitamin K

Matrices: Human Serum

Botanicals

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a flowering plant native to Asia and its rhizomes are commonly used in 

culinary dishes. Additionally, ginger has been used medicinally for many centuries to quell nausea and 

vomiting. Gingerols, the major phytochemical constituents of ginger, have been suggested to have

anticancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, antioxidant, neuroprotective, and gastroprotective properties. 

Raw ginger contains high levels of gingerols, and processed ginger may also contain shogaols and 

zingerone formed from gingerols during heating and drying steps. Accurate determination of these 

compounds in foods or supplements is critical to ensure quality or facilitate standardization for clinical 

investigations of health effects. Participants in this study are strongly encouraged to use AOAC Official 

First Action Method of Analysis 2018.04. The data collected from this method will be used to evaluate 

method reproducibility and assist in the multi-laboratory validation of the method. A copy of the method 

will be provided to participants in the study and is available upon request.

Dietary Intake Study

Analytes: Gingerols

Matrices: Ginger Rhizome, Ginger-Containing 

Dietary Supplements

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Protein Source Identification

The accurate measurement of protein and amino acid content is a necessity for analytical characterization 

and verification of foods and dietary supplements. However, commonly used methods may not distinguish 

between proteins, peptides, amino acids, and other non-protein, nitrogen containing compounds. The need 

for specific detection of certain proteins is further exemplified by increased food allergen concerns. Given 

these considerations, the use of accurate and reliable measurements that can distinguish between protein, 

amino acids, and adulterants, as well as differentiate between protein from different sources (e.g., soy 

versus milk), is becoming a crucial component of manufacturing and QC/QA practices. Participants in 

this study are strongly encouraged to use AOAC Official First Action Method of Analysis 2017.11. The 

data collected from this method will be used to evaluate method reproducibility and assist in the multilaboratory validation of the method. A copy of the method will be provided to participants in the study.

Dietary Intake Study

Analytes: Protein Source

Matrices: Protein Supplements

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Registration Instructions

For New Participants

To participate, first request an account by navigating to https://qa.nist.gov/hamqap and clicking Request 

new account. Once your account request is approved, you will receive an automated email with login 

information. Please modify this password immediately upon logging in to the system and confirm or 

update your contact information on the My account page. If you have additional users that you wish to 

grant access to your laboratory sign-up and participation information (e.g., QC manager, additional 

analysts), you may also create secondary accounts on the My account page. To add your laboratory to 

the HAMQAP List of Participants page, check the box on the My account page. All participants are 

required to provide shipping account information (e.g., FedEx, UPS, DHL), to which the cost of sample 

shipment will be charged. Your account will not be approved until a valid shipping account is provided. 

Next, log in to your account at https://qa.nist.gov/hamqap. Click Register for Exercise on the left menu 

and select the blue Details button next to HAMQAP Exercise 7 – Dietary Intake and/or HAMQAP 

Exercise 7 – Human Metabolites. Once you have selected the studies of interest, click the blue button 

for Participate in this exercise. Your participation request will be approved by a program administrator, 

and you will receive an automated confirmation email. Study selections can be modified at any time up 

until the closure of the registration period.

For Existing Participants (DSQAP and/or HAMQAP)

Log in to your account at https://qa.nist.gov/hamqap. Participants in the DSQAP should use existing 

login credentials, as DSQAP account information was transferred to the HAMQAP site. Click Register 

for Exercise on the left menu and select the blue Details button next to HAMQAP Exercise 7 – Dietary 

Intake and/or HAMQAP Exercise 7 – Human Metabolites. Once you have selected the studies of 

interest, click the blue button for Participate in this exercise. Your participation request will be approved 

by a program administrator, and you will receive an automated confirmation email. Study selections can 

be modified at any time up until the closure of the registration period. All participants are required to 

provide shipping account information (e.g., FedEx, UPS, DHL), to which the cost of sample shipment 

will be charged. Your registration for the exercise will not be accepted until a valid shipping account is 

provided. Additional users (e.g., QC manager, additional analysts) can be granted access to your 

laboratory sign up and participation information on the My account page at any time. Your laboratory 

may be added to the HAMQAP List of Participants page at any time by checking the box on the My 

account page.