ISO 17034 ACCREDITED PRODUCER
ISO 17034 Certified Reference Materials for Petroleum Products
ROFA FRANCE produces certified reference materials (CRM) for the analysis of petroleum products — diesel, gasoline, jet fuel, lubricants and more — under accreditation to ISO 17034, the international standard for reference material producers.
What is ISO 17034?
ISO 17034:2016 — General requirements for the competence and consistent operation of reference material producers — is the international standard published by ISO that defines the requirements a reference material producer (RMP) must meet to demonstrate its competence. It replaced ISO Guide 34:2009 and is the reference framework used by accreditation bodies worldwide to perform third-party assessment of reference material producers.
ISO 17034 covers the production of all reference materials, including certified reference materials (CRM). It sets stringent requirements for:
Competence & impartiality
Technically valid procedures, qualified personnel, and demonstrable independence from conflicts of interest.
Homogeneity assessment
Statistical verification that the certified property value is identical across all units of the batch.
Stability testing
Short-term and long-term studies that support transport conditions, shelf life and re-test periods.
Value assignment & uncertainty
Certified values established by validated methods, with a full, stated measurement uncertainty budget.
Metrological traceability
Certified values traceable to SI units or to certified reference materials through an unbroken chain.
Documentation & labelling
Comprehensive certificates of analysis, batch documentation, and compliant labelling of each unit.
What is a Certified Reference Material (CRM)?
A certified reference material is a reference material characterized by a metrologically valid procedure, accompanied by a certificate stating the certified property value(s), their uncertainty, and the associated metrological traceability. CRMs are used for calibration, method validation, quality control, proficiency testing and the assessment of measurement uncertainty in the laboratory.
Only a reference material producer accredited to ISO 17034 can lawfully certify and supply materials as CRMs. A material sold without ISO 17034 accreditation may be a “reference material” (RM) or a “quality control material” — but it is not a CRM.
ISO 17025 vs ISO 17034: what is the difference?
Laboratories often ask how these two standards relate. They are complementary, not interchangeable:
| ISO/IEC 17025 | ISO 17034 | |
|---|---|---|
| Applies to | Testing and calibration laboratories | Reference material producers (RMP) |
| Purpose | Competence to generate valid test and calibration results | Competence to produce reference materials, including CRMs |
| Scope | Sampling, testing, calibration of instruments | Production, homogeneity, stability, value assignment, certification |
| Complementarity | Labs accredited to ISO 17025 rely on CRMs from ISO 17034 producers for calibration and QC | RMPs commonly run ISO/IEC 17025-accredited laboratories to characterize their materials |
Why use CRMs from an ISO 17034 accredited producer?
1. Guaranteed metrological traceability
Accreditation requires an unbroken, documented chain of traceability to SI units or to recognized reference materials. Your analytical results become defensible and comparable worldwide.
2. Reduced laboratory risk and audit burden
Buying from an accredited RMP drastically reduces the need for your laboratory to evaluate and re-qualify the producer yourself. Auditors and assessors — including ISO/IEC 17025 assessors — accept accredited CRMs as documented evidence of the suitability of your calibration and QC materials.
3. Validated uncertainty budgets
Each certified value comes with its expanded measurement uncertainty. This lets you propagate the CRM uncertainty into your own measurement uncertainty, as required by ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO 17025-aligned accreditation schemes.
4. Regulatory and contractual compliance
Specifications such as EN 228, EN 590, ASTM D1655 (Jet A-1), DEF STAN 91-091 and many OEM and refinery contracts require measurement traceability. ISO 17034 CRMs are the recognized way to demonstrate it — during audits, custody transfers, and disputes.
5. Confidence in every batch
Homogeneity and stability are assessed and documented for every batch. You know that the value on the certificate is valid for your unit, over the stated period of use and storage conditions.
Frequently asked questions
It means an independent accreditation body has assessed the producer’s entire production system — personnel, methods, homogeneity testing, stability studies, value assignment, traceability and documentation — and confirms it meets international requirements. It is third-party assurance of the quality of the produced reference materials.
No. A CRM carries certified values with stated uncertainties, metrological traceability, and is produced under ISO 17034. A plain RM is useful for routine control but does not provide the same level of documented traceability or uncertainty.
You can, but you must evaluate and document the suitability of the producer yourself, which adds significant workload. Accredited CRMs are immediately accepted as fit for purpose and simplify your audits.
ROFA FRANCE being based in France, the accreditation body that issues us our ISO 17034 certificate is COFRAC. The ILAC brand is also present on our CRM certificates.
Ask for our catalogue of certified reference materials, or request the documentation of our accreditation scope.
