A reference material is a sample with a precisely known content or value of a specific measurand that serves as a reference standard.

Reference materials are essential to make measurement results traceable to international unit standards.

Examples

• Serum with a defined glucose value (certified by a metrological institute)
• Ionic solutions with precisely known concentrations

Traceability

Traceability means the complete traceability of a measurement result to an internationally recognised reference standard (e.g. SI unit).

It creates confidence in the comparability and reliability of laboratory results – both nationally and internationally.

RfB uses reference-based target values for many programmes that are traceable to reference methods. This ensures a high level of measurement accuracy and transparency.