Why Validated Methods?

Why Use Validated Methods?

You might be using methods in your own labs to determine the active ingredients and check for adulteration or contamination. If you are the only lab using that method, the numbers on your label can’t be compared to other products. A company using another method, which may produce more apparently favorable numbers, might have a competitive advantage, when the only difference between the two sets of numbers lies in method differences. Only if all labels are produced using the same analytical methods, validated for reliability, will the community have a level playing field—with numbers that can be compared to one another.

If you don’t use validated methods, only you will know how good your numbers are. Validated methods provide:

A level playing field: All labels refer to the same analytical methods, based on the same reference standards. No one has an illusory advantage, charging less for an inferior product but claiming equivalence.
A validated method: Not only has it been tested to determine what it says it determines (active ingredients, adulterants, or contaminants) but it has been tested in many laboratories on the same samples, showing that the method is rugged enough to produce comparable results in different labs, with different operators.
Consumer confidence: When consumer s compare labels prepared using validated methods, they can be sure that they are comparing apples to apples. No manufacturer can hide an inferior product by using methods that measure something other than what the consumer wants.
Regulations: When the FDA imposes regulations on dietary supplements, they will require analysis by validated, proven, reliable methods. Having these methods already in place will be a huge step toward compliance.
Credibility: With the reputation of AOAC behind the validation procedure, regulators and consumers can believe the numbers on the labels. AOAC has been validating methods for 120 years, and they are recognized by industry, academia, and government as the definitive source for validation of proprietary and public methods.

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