AOAC’s mission to ensure the safety and integrity of foods and other products that impact public health requires identifying and meeting new challenges as they arise. AOAC meets those challenges through its Analytical Solutions Forum and New Initiatives programs.

The Analytical Solutions Forum is a mechanism for AOAC’s global stakeholders to identify emerging analytical needs, propose actions to address them, and identify emerging technologies to support them.

AOAC’s New Initiatives process takes the next step by bringing together the human and financial resources to support these priority standards development projects.

AOAC’s strategic operating model includes traditional stakeholder panels as well as focused, self-sustaining programs. Depending on community needs, each program may integrate elements from AOAC’s suite of capabilities:

  • Standards and methods development
  • Proficiency testing
  • Training and mentoring
  • Scientific publications
  • Horizon-scanning
  • International harmonization

Active Working Groups

See the list of active working groups below and sign up to get involved. All levels of experience are welcome.

AOAC Program/ProjectWorking Group
AOAC INTERNATIONAL Microbiological Standards Program (AIMS)Legionella
AOAC INTERNATIONAL Microbiological Standards Program (AIMS)Micro Methods Validation Guidance Revision
Botanical Ingredients and Dietary Supplement Integrity program (BIDSI)Botanical Identity Verification
Cannabis Analytical Science Program (CASP)Pesticide Think Tank
Dairy Protein HydrolysatesDPH Characterization
Illicit Drug Detection in Powders and Tablets (Collaboration with NIST)Illicit Drug Testing Working Group
Gluten & Food Allergens (GFA)GFA End User Guidance
Novel FoodsAmino acids
Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)PFAS in Food Contact Materials (FCMs)
Stakeholder Program on Agent Detection Assays (SPADA)Metagenomics
Trace ElementsTrace Elements

For any additional questions, please reach out to [email protected].

Support AOAC New Initiatives

The primary vehicle for supporting New Initiatives is through participation in an AOAC Advisory Panel. Advisory Panels are program-specific groups comprising representatives from organizations who commit to contributing funding each year and who are instrumental in determining priorities for the program’s working groups.