October 20, 2021

AOAC is seeking volunteer subject matter experts to serve on a newly established working group to develop a voluntary consensus standard (or standards) for the determination (quantification) of folic acid in a variety of dose forms, including chewable gels, soft gels, and tablets. The working group will develop one or more Standard Method Performance Requirements®, or SMPRs® (as deemed necessary by WG experts) based on priorities established by the project’s Advisory Panel.

Background

From 2013 to 2018, AOAC, in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements, embarked on a large-scale stakeholder program to develop much needed consensus-driven performance standards and analytical methods for ingredients used in dietary supplements. As a result of this five-year effort, 34 SMPRs were adopted and 16 methods were approved for First Action Status as Official Methods of AnalysisSM for 25 high priority ingredients.

In the years since the program’s completion, product offerings, availability, and usage have expanded exponentially and brought greater attention to recognized analytical gaps needed to support dietary supplement quality and safety for producers and consumers. Performance standards and current Official Methods of AnalysisSM may not be suitable i.e., fit-for-purpose, to quantify analytes in products such as chewable gels, soft gels, and tablets.

Join the Working Group

The Working Group for Folic Acid, chaired by Dr. Sneh Bhandari, launches Thursday, November 4 with a meeting from 10:30 AM – 2:00 PM ET. If interested, complete the form linked below.