Microsoft Word - BYLAWS 9_26_10

OMB MEETING MATERIALS

147

MEMORANDUM 

Date:  

August 9, 2018 

To: 

AOAC INTERNATIONAL Official Methods Board 

From:  

Arlene Fox 

Subject: 

Revision of ALACC 

Background The “AOAC INTERNATIONAL Guides for Laboratories Performing Microbiological and Chemical Analyses of Food, Dietary Supplements, and Pharmaceuticals” (ALACC Guide) is currently being revised to be consistent with ISO/IEC 17025: 2017. The last revision of this Guide was in 2015. ISO/IEC 17025: 2017 was approved on November 30, 2017. AOAC has published “Accreditation Update” columns in ILM on the revision of ISO 17025 and the revision process as well as on the impact of the revision on accrediting bodies and laboratories. A straw man for the revised ALACC based on ISO/IEC 17025:2017 was drafted. It has been discussed by the ALACC Subcommittees. The ALACC Subcommittees have included Food Chemistry, Food Microbiology, Dietary Supplements, and Pharmaceutical. ALACC is pleased to have had the leadership of John Szpylka, as Chemistry Subcommittee Chair, Michael Brodsky, as Microbiology Subcommittee Chair, Aniko Solyom, as Dietary Supplement Subcommittee Chair, and M.J. Weitzel as Pharmaceutical Subcommittee Chair. There is urgency in approving the revision of the ALACC Guide because accrediting bodies have started assessing laboratories to ISO/IEC 17025: 2017. ILAC and ISO have set a three year transition period to completely change to the revised standard. Following the recommendations from the ALACC Subcommittees, the revised ALACC has been approved by the ALACC Committee. There is significant interest in the revision because it is used a s a “Food Program” by a number of accrediting bodies including A2LA, ANAB, PJLA, and CALA. Previous versions have been translated into Spanish and Japanese. The Guide has been on the ILAC reading list. Discussion

08/09/2018