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A new India Section of AOAC INTERNATIONAL was approved by the Board of Directors in December 2011, and planning is currently underway for a first meeting on April 5, 2012. The Section was established to provide regional constituents with opportunities to “find a common solution to common analytical problems,” said Deepa Bhajekar, MicroChem Silliker, and president of the Section. “As an official Section of AOAC INTERNATIONAL, members gain access to AOAC benefits and services and greater opportunities for participation,” said Socrates Trujillo, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and chair of the Committee on Sections. “At the same time, Sections can bring additional awareness of AOAC within the country and within the industry throughout the region. It’s a good partnership.” The Section’s first meeting will provide a forum for experts in the food arena, including government, industry, and academia. Members will network, identify high-priority issues, and examine analytical test methods to solve problems specific to the India Section, such as food safety, public health, and facilitation of trade. The meeting will focus on examining analytical issues, test methods available, and analytical trends, as well as gaining consensus on prioritization of method needs. In addition, efforts will focus on engaging industry to participate in the Section’s activities. The meeting is supported by major instrument manufacturers, including The Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo, Agilent, and PerkinElmer. Members of the executive committee represent government, industry, and academia and hail from Mumbai and other regions of India (see sidebar). The Section is comprised of 60 individual members of AOAC INTERNATIONAL. Non-member prospects continue to be engaged by the organizing committee. “We look forward to working with the AOAC Board of Directors, Committee on Sections, and staff to advance the work of the India Section,” Bhajekar said. The India Section continues to work on recruiting more members and engaging current ones in its efforts to strengthen and promote the Section’s activities. “Sections are a hardworking community and can continue to become involved by participating in AOAC’s consensus-building process,” said Liz Korte, AOAC Sections and meetings program manager. “In doing so, Sections could achieve critical mass and get their problems solved through AOAC.” AOAC encompasses 16 Sections worldwide, representing three continents and over 90 countries outside of the United States. Each Section holds meetings throughout the year, which feature technical presentations by leading local and national experts. Sections provide opportunities for sharing information, networking with other professionals, expanding leadership skills, and gaining practical management experience. For more information on the India Section, contact Deepa Bhajekar, president, at deepa@microchem.co.in. For more information on AOAC Sections or how to join, visit www.aoac.org (“Sections”) or contact Liz Korte at lkorte@aoac.org.
India Section Executive Committee As follows are the members of the India Section Executive Committee, who will serve 2-year terms: AOAC acknowledges Sumit Sen, U.S. Food and Drug Administration and past-president of the Southern California Section of AOAC INTERNATIONAL, who initiated an effort to organize the India Section at the end of 2010. He worked with the organizing committee as it prepared the petition to become annexed as a Section of AOAC. Sen will continue to serve as an advisor to the India Section during its formative period. AOAC also thanks Shivani Sharma, MicroChem Silliker, who has worked closely with the executive committee and AOAC staff in executing administration for the new Section.
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