AOAC International
Encyclopedia
AOAC International is a non-profit scientific association with headquarters in Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA. It publishes standardised, chemical analysis methods designed to increase confidence in results of chemical
and microbiologic analyses
. Government agencies and civil organisations often require that laboratories use official AOAC methods.
, to establish uniform chemical analysis methods for analysing fertilizer
s; membership was limited to government analytical chemists until 1987, afterwards, membership was extended to industrial scientists. In 1965, the AOAC's name changed to Association of Official Analytical Chemists to accurately reflect its scope beyond agriculture. In 1991, it was renamed AOAC International, which, officially, is not an acronym, despite the AOAC website's encouraging readers to interpret AOAC as an Association of Analytical Communities. The AOAC's publications center upon comprehensive analysis methods, including AOAC Methods of Analysis (1885, 49pp.), Official and Provisional Methods of Analysis of the AOAC (1912), and the monthly Journal of the AOAC, currently its principal periodical, subscribed to by university and industry technical libraries and by members of the AOAC.
, and global publication of reliable analytical test methods, primarily to evaluate the safety
of foods, beverages, dietary supplement
s, and similar materials consumed by humans and animals, or to evaluate purity of materials used in production of foodstuffs and their ingredients. These test methods are of two broad categories: chemical tests (e.g., for vitamin
s or pesticide
s) and microbiological tests (e.g., for spoilage agents or biological threat agents
). Before a given method can be approved as an AOAC official method, it is generally tested in 8-10 laboratories in what is called a "Collaborative Study", and the findings are often published on the Journal of AOAC Internationals. If the OMB (Official Methods Board) approves the recommendation of the Study Director and Committee Chair and approves the method for official status (an official method of analysis) then it is given "First Action" approval. During this time, members can comment of the method and provide feedback of issues or other comments regarding the method. After a year, the OMB can grant "Final Action" status to a method where there has been no feedback serious enough to warrant further investigation. These methods are recognized as official methods by the FDA and other agencies. Members gain free access to the OMA via the web. You can save any method or section as a PDF file for use offline or to print.
Possibly their most visible activity is to be official source for nutrition labeling analysis.
AOAC International has 10 North American sections, organized geographically, as well as 7 geographic sections in the rest of the world. AOAC International conducts one general meeting annually, which has always fallen in the same week in September for years. The meetings are moved around the United States and held in major cities. Moving the annual meeting to various regions benefits members that are not able to travel distances. It also helps share the cost of travel as some years a member has less travel expenses and a subsequent year the cost is higher.
Recently, the AOAC website and organization have undergone substantial changes. For members that have not stayed current in how the OMA process and organization structure are laid out, it would be prudent to visit the website and get updated on the new changes.
Analytical chemistry
Analytical chemistry is the study of the separation, identification, and quantification of the chemical components of natural and artificial materials. Qualitative analysis gives an indication of the identity of the chemical species in the sample and quantitative analysis determines the amount of...
and microbiologic analyses
Microbiology
Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, which are defined as any microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters or no cell at all . This includes eukaryotes, such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes...
. Government agencies and civil organisations often require that laboratories use official AOAC methods.
History
AOAC International, informally the AOAC, was founded September 8, 1884 as the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists, by the United States Department of AgricultureUnited States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
, to establish uniform chemical analysis methods for analysing fertilizer
Fertilizer
Fertilizer is any organic or inorganic material of natural or synthetic origin that is added to a soil to supply one or more plant nutrients essential to the growth of plants. A recent assessment found that about 40 to 60% of crop yields are attributable to commercial fertilizer use...
s; membership was limited to government analytical chemists until 1987, afterwards, membership was extended to industrial scientists. In 1965, the AOAC's name changed to Association of Official Analytical Chemists to accurately reflect its scope beyond agriculture. In 1991, it was renamed AOAC International, which, officially, is not an acronym, despite the AOAC website's encouraging readers to interpret AOAC as an Association of Analytical Communities. The AOAC's publications center upon comprehensive analysis methods, including AOAC Methods of Analysis (1885, 49pp.), Official and Provisional Methods of Analysis of the AOAC (1912), and the monthly Journal of the AOAC, currently its principal periodical, subscribed to by university and industry technical libraries and by members of the AOAC.
Activities
AOAC International's technical contributions center on the creation, validationValidity (statistics)
In science and statistics, validity has no single agreed definition but generally refers to the extent to which a concept, conclusion or measurement is well-founded and corresponds accurately to the real world. The word "valid" is derived from the Latin validus, meaning strong...
, and global publication of reliable analytical test methods, primarily to evaluate the safety
Food safety
Food safety is a scientific discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness. This includes a number of routines that should be followed to avoid potentially severe health hazards....
of foods, beverages, dietary supplement
Dietary supplement
A dietary supplement, also known as food supplement or nutritional supplement, is a preparation intended to supplement the diet and provide nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, fatty acids, or amino acids, that may be missing or may not be consumed in sufficient quantities in a person's diet...
s, and similar materials consumed by humans and animals, or to evaluate purity of materials used in production of foodstuffs and their ingredients. These test methods are of two broad categories: chemical tests (e.g., for vitamin
Vitamin
A vitamin is an organic compound required as a nutrient in tiny amounts by an organism. In other words, an organic chemical compound is called a vitamin when it cannot be synthesized in sufficient quantities by an organism, and must be obtained from the diet. Thus, the term is conditional both on...
s or pesticide
Pesticide
Pesticides are substances or mixture of substances intended for preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest.A pesticide may be a chemical unicycle, biological agent , antimicrobial, disinfectant or device used against any pest...
s) and microbiological tests (e.g., for spoilage agents or biological threat agents
Biological agent
A biological agent — also called bio-agent or biological threat agent — is a bacterium, virus, prion, or fungus which may cause infection, allergy, toxicity or otherwise create a hazard to human health. They can be used as a biological weapon in bioterrorism or biological warfare...
). Before a given method can be approved as an AOAC official method, it is generally tested in 8-10 laboratories in what is called a "Collaborative Study", and the findings are often published on the Journal of AOAC Internationals. If the OMB (Official Methods Board) approves the recommendation of the Study Director and Committee Chair and approves the method for official status (an official method of analysis) then it is given "First Action" approval. During this time, members can comment of the method and provide feedback of issues or other comments regarding the method. After a year, the OMB can grant "Final Action" status to a method where there has been no feedback serious enough to warrant further investigation. These methods are recognized as official methods by the FDA and other agencies. Members gain free access to the OMA via the web. You can save any method or section as a PDF file for use offline or to print.
Possibly their most visible activity is to be official source for nutrition labeling analysis.
AOAC International has 10 North American sections, organized geographically, as well as 7 geographic sections in the rest of the world. AOAC International conducts one general meeting annually, which has always fallen in the same week in September for years. The meetings are moved around the United States and held in major cities. Moving the annual meeting to various regions benefits members that are not able to travel distances. It also helps share the cost of travel as some years a member has less travel expenses and a subsequent year the cost is higher.
Recently, the AOAC website and organization have undergone substantial changes. For members that have not stayed current in how the OMA process and organization structure are laid out, it would be prudent to visit the website and get updated on the new changes.