Metrological tools for quality control in distilled beverages with a focus on the development of reference materials and proficiency tests

The quality of cachaça and vodka is influenced by the organic congeners formed during their production, which can be toxic in high concentrations, requiring monitoring. To ensure reliability and traceable results, the application of the ISO/IEC 17025 standard in distilled beverage laboratories is essential. This standard covers metrological tools, such as method validation, use of certified reference material (CRM) and proficiency test (PT). This article presents the development and application of these tools to support reliability in analytical results, including method validation to verify the fitness of use, production of a CRM for internal quality control, and implementation of a PT as a practical application of the CRM. These tools were developed according to ISO 17034, ISO 33405:2024, and ISO 17043:2023. Statistical approaches were used throughout the study to ensure reliability in uncertainty estimation and performance evaluation. National laboratories collaborated in the quality control of distilled beverages and received CRM and PT samples, along with a protocol for future CRM production and PT implementation in this sector.