Chemical Contaminants & Residues in Food

OVERVIEW

AOAC's Contaminants in Food Community was formed to identify, prioritize and support development of the most needed methodologies for trace level chemical analyses in foods. Chemical contaminant analytes may include but are not limited to trace levels of pesticides, veterinary drugs, banned food dyes, industrial chemicals (e.g., acrylamide, perchlorate, benzene), radionuclides (e.g., cesium-134, iodine-131, strontium-90), toxic elements (e.g., arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, methylmercury) and persistent organic pollutants (e.g., polybrominated diphenyl ethers, dioxins, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons).

The Community will seek members internationally including global representatives from governments, academia, producers, processors, distributors, importers and exporters, working together to develop analytical standards of excellence in their areas of expertise. The Community will serve as a primary resource for timely knowledge exchange, networking and high quality laboratory information for all stakeholders.

The Community will work with AOAC's committees and Official Methods Board to champion the best methods for inter-laboratory and collaborative study and adoption as AOAC official methods.

Please Join Us!

Professionals involved in the production, distribution or analysis of foods may join the Community by contacting one of the Chairs. Most communications within the Community do not require in-person meetings. Electronic (conference calls and internet) communications are more efficient and address most concerns in time commitment, travel funding restrictions, and international time zone limitations. Electronic mail is also used but the creation of new subgroups and growth of the Community (and email inbox overload) demands the online forum approach.

Face-to-face meetings and conference calls are also held in conjunction with AOAC meetings (regional and national) as well as appropriate scientific and trade association meetings. For those who want to participate in person, there will be a community meeting at the AOAC International meeting in September 2007.

Once specific method needs have been prioritized and significant support has been identified, a Committee of experts will be identified or established to develop and validate the most appropriate method/s. Interlaboratory studies may involve the analysis of pesticides, metals, radioactivity, antibiotics, animal drugs, and other chemical contaminants.

While all Community members may contribute their expertise to the Committee, AOAC membership is required to have a voting voice in Committee decisions. The AOAC volunteer consensus process assures that quality, fit for purpose methods enjoy AOAC official method status. Those methods demonstrating sufficient accuracy, precision, and selectivity will be recommended for adoption by AOAC INTERNATIONAL as Official Methods^SM.

http://www.aoac.org/membership/IndividualMembership.html for membership information).

Contact

Community Chairs or AOAC at:

Jo Marie Cook at cookj@doacs.state.fl.us, phone (850) 410-3217

Stephen Capar at Stephen.capar@fda.hhs.gov, phone (301) 436-2003

AOAC Liaison Anita Mishra at Amishra@aoac.org or phone (301) 924-7077 Ext 131.