AOAC Community on Chemical Contaminants & Residues in Food

RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Engage community representatives from international, federal, and state governments, academia, industry, business, and trade groups to identify, by consensus, the most appropriate methodologies for the chemical contaminants and residues in foods community. Ensure active participation through scheduled face-to-face and virtual meetings and activities.

2. Prioritize analytical method needs of the community,

3. Form subgroups to address those needs, and take a leadership role in direction and steering the work of subgroups to ensure the results meet analytical method needs of the community and that buy-in and acceptance of decisions is done by consensus of the group.

A subgroup is defined as a working group of individuals with mutual interests and expertise in a specific area of chemical contaminants in food.

The subgroup will define the group’s analytical method needs and issues, and post them on AOAC’s website. The subgroup will choose a Chair and one member of a subgroup to serve as voting members of the Community on Chemical Contaminants in Food.

The subgroup Chair shall take a leadership role in driving the work of the subgroup and ensure that the best methods are chosen and validated.

An individual with a vested interest in a particular method or methods may not form a subgroup for the sole purpose of driving that method toward validation by AOAC. In addition, members of a subgroup with a vested interest in a particular method must recluse themselves from reviewing or voting on the method.

The charge of the subgroups will include, but not be limited to:

a. Determining method priority areas of the group based on criteria determined by the group;

b. Defining criteria required of the method;

c. Soliciting and reviewing available methods in priority areas;

d. Forming Expert Review Panels (ERP) to develop criteria for method selection based on fit-for-purpose and performance characteristics;

e. Recommending best methods as determined by the ERP for further validation.

4. Resolve any issues brought before the Community by the subgroup and ensure work of subgroups is transparent and communicated.

5. Participate or solicit participation in validating appropriate methodology through AOAC method validation programs. This may include method review, identification of potential study directors and participating laboratories, and sample identification and acquisition. 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.

6. Identify financial and in-kind support to validate methods chosen for further validation.

7. The Community will meet face-to-face at the AOAC International Annual Meeting, in addition to other conference calls and meetings, which may be scheduled from time to time. The Community will identify other meeting forums including electronic and written communications where the work of the Community or a subgroup can be furthered.

8. All Community members serve at the pleasure of the President. All members are expected to actively participate in the work of the Community including, but not limited to, promptly responding to communications, attending and actively participating in meetings, reviewing meeting background material and agendas prior to meeting, and accepting and following through on assignments. Persons who do not actively participate will be removed from the Community by the President at the request of the Chair.