AOAC signed on September 16, 2010, a second task order of the FDA Indefinite Deliverable, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract. The new project, which supports the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) initiative on dietary supplements, focuses on validation of botanical identification methods.

In support of the contract, AOAC held a Presidential Task Force on Dietary Supplements (PTFDS) meeting, chaired by James Harnly of USDA, on September 26, 2010 at the AOAC Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida, USA. In addition, AOAC will hold an expert review panel (ERP) to further develop and refine the draft validation guideline for identification of botanical ingredients, which was developed by the Working Group for Validation of Identity Methods for Botanical Raw Materials, chaired by Mark Roman of Tampa Bay Analytical Research, in support of the first task order.

After review by the ERP, the validation guideline will be posted on the AOAC Web site for public comment and then reviewed by the PTFDS, the AOAC Official Methods Board (OMB), and the AOAC Board of Directors. If successful, the AOAC validation guideline for botanical identification methods is expected to be available by fall 2011.

In addition, the ERP will build consensus on a draft fitness-for-purpose statement and a plan for next steps in the botanical identification initiative.

For more information on AOAC’s dietary supplements initiative, contact Bob Rathbone, senior director, publications and methods validation, at rrathbone@aoac.org. For more information on the proposed validation guideline for identification of botanical ingredients, contact Scott Coates, chief scientific officer, at scoates@aoac.org.

Copyright © 2010 AOAC INTERNATIONAL. All Rights Reserved. Comments, Questions, Concerns, e-mail: webmaster@aoac.org.