Date/Time
Date(s) - May 28, 2026
10:00 am - 11:00 am
Part of AOAC Webinar Series on Method Development
Thursday, May 28 — 10:00 – 11:30 AM ET
Official analytical methods are essential in the food industry because they provide standardized, validated procedures that ensure reliable and comparable results across laboratories. They form the basis for verifying compliance with food safety and food labelling regulations, support international trade through harmonized testing, and protect consumers by guaranteeing the quality and safety of their food.
In this webinar, we illustrate, through three examples (below), how a method becomes “official” within the AOAC framework. These examples will walk through the full AOAC officialization process and beyond, from initial method development to single laboratory validation, First Action status, multi-laboratory collaborative studies, Final Action status, and ultimately method reviewing, including matrix extension and method improvement. By describing the key steps involved, we demonstrate how rigorous validation and expert review ensure that official methods are robust, reliable, and fit for their intended purpose. The examples that we will use are as follows:
- AOAC 2021.01: Determination of Galactooligosaccharides in Infant Formula & Adult Nutritionals
- AOAC 2018.06: Total Amino Acids in Infant Formulas and Adult Nutritionals
- AOAC 2023.01: Acrylamide determination in food by LC-MS/MS
Presented by Sean Austin, Aurélien Desmarchelier, and Christophe Fuerer (Société des Produits Nestlé S.A)
Sean Austin studied Applied Chemistry at the Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen (UK). He moved to the Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen (UK), where he worked on his PhD on the structural characterization of anti-nutritional polysaccharides in wheat, in collaboration with the University of Nottingham (UK). He moved to the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control in South Mimms (UK) to work on an EU project on the development of glycoconjugate vaccines to protect infants against infections with Streptococcus pneumoniae. At the end of the project he moved to the University of Utrecht (The Netherlands) to study the glycosylation of therapeutic glycoproteins produced in transgenic organisms. Sean started at Nestlé Research in 2003, where he is part of a team responsible for developing, validating and supporting the analytical tools Nestlé uses for the analysis of carbohydrates in food products, ingredients, and samples coming from clinical trials. He has co-authored AOAC and ISO methods for fructooligosaccharides and β-galactooligosaccharides in infant formula and is co-author of one of the AOAC first action methods for the analysis of human milk oligosaccharides in infant formula.
Aurélien Desmarchelier. M. Sc., is an analytical chemist specializing in the determination of chemical- and process-contaminants in foods using LC-MS/MS and LC-HRMS systems at Société des Produits Nestlé S.A. in Lausanne, Switzerland. He is the author of 30 peer-reviewed publications in analytical chemistry and food safety. As an active member of AOAC INTERNATIONAL, he has been the author of AOAC Official First Action 2023.01 (Acrylamide in food by LC-MS/MS) and AOAC Official Final Action 2020.04 (Veterinary drugs in food by LC-MS/MS).
Dr. Christophe Fuerer, senior R&D specialist at Société des Produits Nestlé SA, holds an MSc in Biochemistry and a PhD in Biology and Virotherapy. With two decades of experience in mass spectrometry, cellular biology, and biochemistry, he develops protein analysis solutions to enhance understanding of protein function and improve food safety and quality. Christophe is an active participant in multiple international Standards Development Organizations, including AOAC, IDF, ISO, CEN, and USP, where he plays a key role in advancing the standardization of analytical methods across laboratories. He is dedicated to fostering consensus and establishing robust, trusted analytical standards within the food industry, highlighting the significance of collaborative networks and knowledge sharing in developing reliable scientific methodologies.
