Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal which pollutes the environment and do the people's health harm. It enters into the human body through gastrointestinal tract and air inhalation and causes a toxic injury for kidneys, bones, reproductive system. As well, it can affect the children's growth and development, especially intelligence development and has an evident carcinogenicity. Powdered milks are one of the most essential dairy products needed by growing children. It contains both the basic and additional requirement needed by children especially during their developmental years. It is also one of the most popular dairy products due to long shelf life and its employment in the manufacture of many dairy products such as ice cream, cheese, evaporated milk, condensed milk and infant milk formula. Milk powder may be contaminated by cadmium at certain levels that may cause a potential health hazards for humans. It needs a rigorous monitoring program to prevent food contamination by admium and to ensure that its level did not exceed the legal limits for human consumption.

Reference value provided by NIM for cadmium in the test sample was used as the assigned value for evaluating measurement results of participants. The relevant Calibration and Measurement Capabilities (CMCs) of NIM are registered in the Key Comparison Data Base (KCDB) of the Comité International des Poids et Mesures (CIPM, International Committee for Weights and Measures) Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA).