AOAC to update industry on analytical methods

Establishing standards for the supplements and ingredients industry is seen as a way to boost consumer confidence without the need for heavy-handed regulation from the government. AOAC's vision is that there be worldwide confidence in analytical results.

The five-year contract with NIH and the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition began in September 2001, and ingredients for which methods have been drawn up and validated to date include ephedra, beta-carotene and glucosamine. The chondroitin, omega-3 and SAMe methods are understood to be amongst those understood to be amongst those nearing completion.

Although the initial contract is nearing its end, a spokesperson for AOAC told NutraIngredients-USA.com: "This kind of work does not have an end date."​

Although it is not clear whether the NIH contact will be renewed, one of the goals of the project has been to engage with the industry. And if the industry thinks that it its important to have validated methods for certain ingredients, it will put money into it. "It is an investment,"​ said the spokesperson.

If there is insufficient interest, a project will be dropped.

At present, there are 13 different working groups developing methods, and AOAC is actively seeking methods on black cohosh, eleuthero, garlic, isoflavones, kava kava, L-carnitine, lutein, MSM, polyphenols and yohimbe.

Concurrent to the trade show in Las Vegas, July 14 to 16, AOAC will hold a series of nine hour-long sessions on chondroitin, folin (polyphenols), chromium, CoQ10, SAMe, vitamins, lutein, omega-3 and herbals.

A session will also give an overview of the entire dietary supplement project, and give industry members the opportunity to propose new ingredients requiring working groups and methods.

AOAC issued a call for industry, government or academia to prioritize ingredients that need validated methods earlier this year, for discussion at a Task Force meeting at Supply Side East.