At a glance
CDC offers sets of value assigned serum or whole blood quality control (QC) materials for folate status biomarkers.
Overview
Target laboratories
Laboratories engaged in public health work assessing folate status in populations.
Program goals
Improve analytical performance of the folate microbiologic assay by offering QC materials that support in-house quality assurance programs in laboratories engaged in public health work.
Featured analytes
- Whole blood folate
- Serum folate
About the program
CDC’s Nutritional Biomarkers Branch (NBB) offers sets of value-assigned QC materials for serum and whole blood folate. The laboratory can use the materials to establish an in-house quality assurance program or supplement an existing program and conduct long-term monitoring of assay performance. CDC’s value assignment uses a CLIA-approved microbiologic assay performed over multiple days and in duplicate.
Shipping schedule
Requesting laboratories must be able to receive frozen samples packed in dry ice, retrieve samples from customs at the airport, and pay for any costs required by customs.
Program costs
CDC offers materials for different box sizes: 30, 60, or 100 vials of 2 serum or whole blood pool materials (low and high). Sets of 30, 60, and 100 vials consist of 15, 30, and 50 vials/pool, respectively. Requestors pay a user fee to cover CDC's costs for developing program materials. Requestors also pay for material shipping costs.
How to enroll
To request folate QC products, contact micronutrbiomarkers@cdc.gov. Please include the country and/or laboratory name and "Folate QC Materials" in the subject line.