In an effort to drive new methods through validation so as to modernize the Official Methods of Analysis^SM (OMA) and reinforce the AOAC brand, the Association recently launched an initiative to validate approximately 10 prospective methods deemed most urgently needed. Methods are gaining momentum--based on their increased level of development--to move toward validation.

“These methods have already had some level of development and/or validation and are the most promising methods to complete the pilot project faster,” said AOAC Executive Director James Bradford. “The 12-month project is moving forward with some very promising developments.”

Initially, AOAC compiled a list of over 50 methods--resulting from the Association's concensus process in executing contracts, from AOAC analytical communities, and from individual submissions--that were waiting to be validated. Armed with this list of prospective methods, AOAC then asked its technology providers—those who have close business networks with the regulated industry and who are aware of the major analytical problems and how science-based solutions can be used to solve these problems--to provide guidance in prioritizing approximately 10 of the most relevant and urgently needed methods.

“AOAC Organizational Affiliates (OAs) and analytical communities contributed valuable advice and guidance to help ensure that AOAC is working on the most relevant, high-speed, high-technology, high-throughput methods that would be valuable to the analytical sciences community and recognized worldwide,” Bradford said.

As of date, it is expected that the following methods—which have been validated in either an interlaboratory study, single laboratory, ring trial, and/or published in the Journal of AOAC INTERNATIONAL—are ready to progress through AOAC’s validation process:

    Improvement of AOAC Official Method^SM 984.27 for the Determination of Nine Nutritional Elements in Food Products
      by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectroscopy After Microwave Digestion: Single-Laboratory Validation and Ring Trial

    Determination of Aflatoxins B₁, B₂, G₁, and G₂ in Olive Oil, Peanut Oil, and Sesame Oil
      by Immunoaffinity Column Cleanup and Liquid Chromatography: Single-Laboratory Validation

    Determination of Fumonisins B₁ and B₂ in Corn by LC/MS with IAC Cleanup: Interlaboratory Study

    Determination of Arsenic, Cadmium, Mercury, and Lead by Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS)
      in Foods After Pressure Digestion: NMKL Interlaboratory Study

    Multiresidue Method for Determination of Algal Toxins in Shellfish: Single-Laboratory Validation and Interlaboratory Study

    Arsenic (Inorganic) in Rice by IC/ICP-MS

Method-centric committees (Mycotoxins in Foods, Elemental Contaminants in Foods, Nutritional Elements in Foods, and Marine Toxins in Shellfish) have been formed for the first five above methods.

“This pilot initiative is generating a lot of excitement for AOAC and its members,” Bradford said. “Ultimately, AOAC hopes to expand the project to include more methods.”

For more information, contact Anita Mishra, executive for scientific business development, at amishra@aoac.org; Krystyna McIver, senior director, stakeholder communications, at kmciver@aoac.org; or Dawn Frazier, senior director, membership & professional development, at dfrazier@aoac.org. Full coverage is scheduled for the July/August issue of Inside Laboratory Management.

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