Rockville, Maryland, November 12, 2024 — AOAC INTERNATIONAL (AOAC), the American Council of Independent Laboratories (ACIL), and Independent Laboratories Institute (ILI) announce a new collaboration with the goal of developing and advancing harmonized quality initiatives that significantly benefit public health and safety. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), signed by AOAC INTERNATIONAL Executive Director David B. Schmidt and Richard Bright, CEO, ACIL/ILI, established the terms and conditions under which the three organizations will work together cooperatively.
ACIL/ILI and AOAC agree to collaborate in taskforces, committees, working groups, or the equivalent where mutual interests have been identified. They will recognize each other’s standards where there is alignment and complementarity and collaborate on training and educational initiatives. AOAC will provide expert scientific resources as needed for ACIL/ILI meetings and policy briefings, and both will facilitate and promote the new work of the organizations.
Bright said of the agreement, “ACIL has always had a strong relationship with AOAC, and this Memorandum of Understanding provides both organizations with a more formal approach to our collaboration.”
Schmidt adds, “This collaboration has the potential to reach more stakeholders effectively and efficiently, with state-of-the-art standards, methods and best laboratory practices.”
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About AOAC INTERNATIONAL
Founded in 1884 with our beginnings in the USDA and US FDA, AOAC INTERNATIONAL is an independent, non-profit membership association of analytical science professionals in government, industry, and academia worldwide. Our mission is to advance food safety and product integrity through standards, validated test methods, and laboratory quality programs. We publish outcomes, including Official Methods of AnalysisSM, in the Journal of AOAC INTERNATIONAL and provide laboratory proficiency testing programs. AOAC also facilitates collaboration and training of scientists and other stakeholders to address challenges with sustainable analytical solutions. For more information, please visit AOAC.org.
About American Council of Independent Laboratories (ACIL)
American Council of Independent Laboratories (ACIL), located in Washington, DC, is a non-profit trade association representing independent, commercial scientific and testing laboratories. Its members are professional services firms engaged in testing, product certification, consulting, and research and development. Affiliated membership is available to manufacturer’s laboratories, consultants, and suppliers to the industry. ACIL’s vision is to realize a healthy safe environment for society through the application of unbiased, scientific testing. ACIL’s mission is to provide the independent testing community with advocacy, education, and alliances, to enable members to better address environmental and product risks to the public.
About Independent Laboratories Institute (ILI)
Independent Laboratories Institute (ILI) is a scientific educational organization that is multi-disciplined and member-driven. Established as a non-profit component of the American Council of Independent Laboratories (ACIL) in 1992, ILI is organized to operate exclusively for educational, charitable, and research purposes. Their activities include, but are not limited to: conducting educational activities, such as seminars, conferences, and workshops, for the scientific/testing communities; developing and distributing educational materials, including research findings; and promoting, developing, and conducting research or review that is responsive to its member needs and concerns.
