AOAC INTERNATIONAL
TERMS OF REFERENCE
I.
NAME:
AOAC Community on Chemical Contaminants &
Residues in Food
II.
To establish an infrastructure within the AOAC to meet the needs
of scientists involved with the analysis of food for chemical contaminants
and/or residues.
To represent scientists from countries across the globe who are
dedicated to the protection of the food supply from harmful chemicals whether
they be from intentional, natural or accidental contamination.
To engage the community of all stakeholders
involved with or affected by, the analysis of chemical contaminants and
residues in food from international, federal, and state governments,
academia, industry, business, and trade associations.
To establish a forum where stakeholders can introduce new needs
and resolve method problems with international input.
To identify, by consensus, the most needed methodologies requiring
development and validation. Chemical
contaminant analytes may include but are not limited to trace levels of pesticides,
veterinary drugs, mycotoxins, banned food dyes, industrial chemicals (e.g., acrylamide, perchlorate, benzene),
radionuclides (e.g., cesium-134,
iodine-131, strontium-90) and environmental contaminants such as toxic elements
(e.g., arsenic, cadmium, lead,
mercury, methylmercury) and persistent organic pollutants (e.g., polybrominated diphenyl ethers, dioxins, polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons).
To guide and supervise the prioritization, development and
validation of analytical methods for the detection, identification, and/or
quantification of chemical contaminants and residues in food
matrices which are acceptable to governments and industry worldwide.
To provide confidence in analytical results as used by food regulators
and food industry representatives alike for many purposes including public
safety and security of the food supply, quality control and transparency of
methods impacting trade.
AOAC Community members will include 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.
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.
III.
COMPOSITION AND
ORGANIZATION
The Chair of the Community is appointed by the President of
AOAC. The Chair shall initially appoint subgroup
Chairs.
The subgroups shall, thereafter, choose the working structure of
their group and nominate two members to the subgroup for appointment to
represent them on the Community.
The Community shall consist of the Chair and a minimum of 2
members from each subgroup who shall be voting members. A quorum will be declared if, in addition to
the Chair, one half (1/2) of the voting members are present. The meetings of the Community and subgroups
will be open to all interested parties.
The Chair and members of the Community will be members of AOAC. If
unable to continue service, the Chair will suggest a replacement from within
the Community subject to the approval by the President.
Each voting member will be appointed for a two-year term, which
may be renewed at the Chair’s discretion.
The Community shall represent, insofar as possible, all appropriate
sectors from the Chemical Contaminants in Foods Community. The Community will be composed of members
representing a balance of government, industry, and academia as appropriate to
the scope of the Community. No more
than one half of the voting members can be from industry.
IV.
STAFF LIAISON
The Executive Director shall assign a member of the staff to serve
as staff liaison.
V.
REVIEW SCHEDULE
Every three years
VI.
DATE ESTABLISHED
Proposed: to be determined
VII.
DATES REVISED
Proposal: to be determined