AOAC SPIFAN Vanillin Working Group (December 13, 2022)

AOAC DUE PROCESS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF NON ‐ METHOD CONSENSUS STANDARDS AND DOCUMENTS Policy for Due Process in the Development of AOAC Standards and Consensus Documents

AOAC INTERNATIONAL (AOAC) develops and publishes voluntary consensus standards and documents in support of method development, method modification, and method use or implementation. AOAC establishes voluntary consensus standards and documents in accordance to national and international principles for ensuring due process. AOAC’s consensus and standards development activities include participation from diverse perspectives across a given analytical industry or community area, discipline or issue. Standards are developed upon consensus of stakeholders. Approval of standards is based upon confirmation that the standard has been developed in accordance with AOAC’s processes 1 and principles, and as outline in Figure 1. Examples of AOAC consensus documents and standards include voluntary consensus standards; performance standards; methods of analysis; guidance documents; concepts of operation; best practice recommendation documents, and sampling approaches. POLICY STATEMENT AOAC develops national and international analytical non ‐ method consensus and standards documents according to the national and international principles for ensuring due process in the development of consensus documents and standards: openness, transparency, lack of dominance, balance, due consideration, coordination, consensus, and appeals. The AOAC Official Methods Board oversees the implementation of scientific and technical policies and procedures established by the AOAC Board of Directors including those for ensuring due process in establishing standards and consensus documents as outlined in Figure 1. The rules of engagement and parliamentary procedures for AOAC standards developing bodies follow Robert’s Rules of Order (latest edition) in accordance with AOAC bylaws and policies.

Figure 1 ‐ Overview Flow for Consensus & Standard Development

1 AOAC has documentation on the details of the processes used to develop its standards and consensus documents. These supporting documentation include terminology, process details in text with an accompanying flowchart, and a document stage handout.

Approved by AOAC Board of Directors on June 10, 2020.