Below are the titles of the 2025 Annual Meeting Accepted Roundtables. Click on the titles for the full descriptions.
Exploring the Gaps Between the Intersection of Standards and Science
The Future of Microbiological Method Validation: AOAC Appendix J Revision
Using Orthogonal Methods for Botanical ID by Qualitative and Quantitative Methods
Got PFAS: Now What? Understanding PFAS Beyond Analysis
Opportunities and Challenges of Genetic Testing for Natural Products and Food Authentication
USDA Organic Certification and the Role of Residue Testing
Track: Microbiology & Molecular Biology Methods
Chairs: Alex Tudor, Bio-Rad Laboratories & Pat Bird, bioMérieux
As technology rapidly advances in the world of food safety, there have been several innovative tools and systems developed to help enhance pathogen detection, traceability, management and prevention. However, the standardized protocols used to validate these advancements to ensure their reliability, efficacy and safety have not as yet been able to keep up. This gap between advancing technologies and the standards that are used to support them needs to be addressed and minimized, to ensure the tools that are being integrated into food safety systems are appropriately challenged and qualified to meet best practices for widespread adoption and implementation.
In this roundtable, we aim to address some of the discrepancies that exist between current methods and the standards that exist to certify them, and how we can close those gaps with industry and regulatory insight. The absence of universally accepted standards can complicate not only regulatory oversight, but also method and technology development as it can best support the ever-changing food safety systems. As technology continues to evolve, the development of standardized validation processes will be crucial in promoting consumer trust, facilitating global trade, and maintaining the integrity of food safety systems.
Track: Microbiology & Molecular Biology Methods
Chairs: David Legan, Eurofins & Laurie Post, Deibel Laboratories
AOAC has embarked on a project to revise and update the microbiological method guidelines presented in “Appendix J”. This project recognizes that both technology and user needs have changed since the guidelines were first published. At the start of the project, several areas were seen as deserving of consideration including:
Working group members and other relevant experts will discuss progress, addressing these questions and much more.
Track: Botanicals & Dietary Supplements
Chairs: Cris Amarillas, Eurofins & Marisa Feller, Eurofins
The identification of botanical materials often requires a multi-method approach to ensure high certainty. High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC), microscopy, and macroscopic analysis are traditional methods commonly used for botanical identification, with the emergence of genetic testing as a new layer of validation. This session will explore the application of orthogonal methods—combining multiple techniques to enhance confidence in botanical identity assessment, using AOAC OMA Appendix K as a framework. Key topics include strategies for integrating various methodologies such as molecular, chemical, and morphological tests to achieve higher reliability. Additionally, considerations will be given to the challenges of sampling across diverse populations and countries of origin, comparing wild-collected versus cultivated materials, and the impact of processing steps like extraction or microbial reduction. Special focus will pay to the challenges of sourcing botanical reference materials (BRMs) for validation, especially when accounting for phenotypic and genetic variation in plant samples. The session aims to highlight the importance of robust sampling practices and inclusive/exclusive panel design for accurate botanical identification in the face of diverse plant chemovars, chemotypes, and environmental factors.
Track: Chemical Contaminants & Residues
Chairs: M. Lorna De Leoz, Agilent Technologies & Jason Kong
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are persistent synthetic chemicals used in diverse and prolific ways to support industrial and consumer applications that have been increasingly scrutinized in the media due to their potential of negatively impacting the health of humans, animals and the environment. Much has been discussed regarding how they’re manufactured, introduced to water systems and the overall food chain, bioaccumulated in crops, livestock and humans, and detected using modern analytical chemistry techniques. But what happens after PFAS is found and quantified? What is the impact of such a finding to industry, farmers, food processors, households and regulatory bodies?
In this roundtable discussion, our experts will peel back the curtain beyond “how” we test for PFAS and ask “why”: Why PFAS has attracted international headlines, why governments seek to regulate its presence, and why solving the PFAS problem isn’t just a matter of implementing robust surveillance programs using state-of-the-art mass spectrometers to detect down to parts-per-quadrillion levels. We encourage the audience to participate and bring their own questions for the roundtable panel!
Track: Botanicals & Dietary Supplements
Chair: Eleanor Kuntz, LeafWorks
Genetic Testing is widely used in diagnostics from the medical/clinical setting, the agricultural environment, and in criminal-forensic work. However, the utilization of genetic testing in the natural product and food authentication fields is still largely untapped. The benefit of genetic testing includes potential for ultra-specificity, more cost-effective approaches and orthogonal options for complex and/or complementary identification. The level of accuracy and precision of genetic identification is unmatched; however, the marker choice and design are critical to achieve this. Not all genetic markers are created equal, and not all types of markers can give you the information you need to correctly address questions of identity or state. In this session, we will explore innovative ways methods are being developed to leverage the benefits of genetic testing, while avoiding pitfalls. We will explore various types of genetic markers (SSRs, SNPs, QTLs, barcoding genes, variant calling, etc.), and when they are or are not fit-for-purpose. Finally, we will discuss how understanding the organism being tested is critical to understand which specific types of genetic markers are suited to answer the question at hand. We will explore how important biological information such as population structure, species distribution, mating system, genetic diversity and agricultural systems all intersect when designing these assays.
Track: Chemical Contaminants & Residues
Chair: Gwendolyn Wyard, Strengthening Organic Systems, LLC
Organic is the fastest-growing sector in agriculture with U.S. retail sales exceeding $69 billion last year. Inadvertent contamination of organic products from prohibited substances or the compromise of product authenticity by fraud can jeopardize the organic status of an otherwise compliant organic product, and lead to significant economic losses and trade disruption. Organic authenticity is essential for maintaining consumer trust in certified organic products.
Residue testing is a critical monitoring tool that the organic sector uses to evaluate efficacy of contamination prevention measures, demonstrate compliance with organic regulatory requirements, and maintain integrity of organic global supply chains. USDA-accredited certifiers are required to conduct periodic residue testing of organic products to verify that contamination prevention measures are effective. Industry is voluntarily testing as well, and many businesses have implemented highly technical internal residue testing programs to ensure organic integrity.
The landscape of analytical tools available to the food industry is quickly evolving. Testing methodologies are becoming more precise, and businesses have options of testing products at various stages of the supply chain. Developing and implementing an effective residue testing program must be considered on the farm and at each step of the supply chain and must rely on science-based information and product-specific attributes.
This roundtable will explore the requirements, challenges, and successes of using residue testing as a tool for protecting organic integrity. Audience members will gain a strong understanding of the organic regulatory framework, the status of USDA instruction, and critical aspects to consider when developing sampling and testing protocols.
