ISO 17025 accreditation: what it means and why it matters

ISO/IEC 17025 is the international standard for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories. It covers the technical, quality and management system requirements a laboratory must meet to consistently produce valid results. Accreditation is granted by independent national bodies after rigorous on-site assessment, and is renewed through periodic surveillance audits.

ACCREDIA is the single national accreditation body designated by the Italian government in compliance with EU Regulation (EC) 765/2008. It is a signatory of the European Accreditation Multilateral Agreement (EA-MLA) and of the ILAC Mutual Recognition Arrangement (ILAC-MRA), which means ACCREDIA-accredited reports are recognised in more than 100 economies worldwide.

BRC, IFS, SQF, FSSC 22000 and the EU Drinking Water Directive expect water and food testing to be performed by an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory for the parameter being reported. A non-accredited result can lead to non-conformities during audits, customs disputes, insurance challenges and judicial proceedings.

Yes, through the ILAC-MRA framework. United States accreditation bodies (such as ANAB and A2LA) and ACCREDIA are mutual signatories of the ILAC-MRA, which means accredited test reports from either jurisdiction are accepted as equivalent for trade and regulatory purposes.

Accreditation is granted method by method, parameter by parameter. Some specialist parameters may be performed under the laboratory ISO 9001 quality system rather than under formal accreditation. We always state on the report which results are accredited and which are not, in line with ACCREDIA RT-08 transparency rules.

Our accreditation number (TODO placeholder, supplied on the report and on contractual documentation) can be verified directly on the ACCREDIA public register at accredia.it. We are happy to share our latest accreditation certificate and scope on request.