More than 160 people from around the world attended the inaugural meeting of the "Standards Development and International Harmonization: AOAC INTERNATIONAL Mid-Year Meeting" held June 29-30, 2011, in Rockville, Maryland, USA.

The event was designed to give industry (food companies, instrument manufacturers, test kit companies) and those directly involved in alternative method testing the opportunity to drive priorities and develop voluntary consensus standards that are globally recognized. "We are empowering industry and trust our members, customers, and expert review panels (ERPs) to lead us in the right direction," said AOAC Executive Director James Bradford. "These initiatives are the result of many leading companies, great scientists, and committed people."

Setting the stage for the 2-day meeting was a plenary session featuring speakers from industry and AOAC who provided a look at how AOAC is empowering industry to drive method priorities and, through voluntary stakeholder consensus, reach global agreement on analytical testing and methods.

Highly focused discussions and presentations provided attendees with an overview and guidance on developing standard method performance requirements (SMPRs), as well as regulatory and analytical issues pertaining to current methodologies, allowing stakeholders to achieve consensus in establishing key objectives for their respective industries:

• The Stakeholders Panel on Infant Formal and Adult Nutritionals (SPIFAN) approved 10 Official MethodsSM for infant formula and adult/pediatric nutritional formulas using the new alternative pathway. The Panel also approved SMPRs and recommended candidate methods for vitamin E in infant formula and adult/pediatric nutritional formulas, while methods and draft SMPRs were recommended for ultra trace elements and nucleotides.
• The Stakeholder Panel on Strategic Food Analytical Methods (SPSAM) launched its first meeting and approved work plans that will be assigned to working groups on antioxidants, contaminants, flavonoids, and modernizing methods for raw ingredients in food.
• The International Stakeholder Panel on Alternative Methodology (ISPAM) achieved consensus on the five top priority areas to harmonize chemical and microbiological guidelines for alternative methods.

Full coverage of the Mid-Year Meeting is scheduled for the July/August issue of Inside Laboratory Management.

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