AOAC SPSFAM Meeting Book 9-24

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 9/13/2017 CONTACT: Dawn Frazier Executive for Scientific Business Development AOAC INTERNATIONAL dfrazier@aoac.org www.aoac.org

AOAC Launches Working Group to Develop Standards for Sugar Analysis AOAC INTERNATIONAL has partnered with the Association of American Feed Control Officials , Thermo Fisher , and Megazyme to develop Standard Method Performance Requirements (SMPRs ® ) for the analysis of sugars in selected matrices. Standards development activities for the new project will be introduced on September 24, 2017, at the Stakeholder Panel on Strategic Food Analytical Methods (SPSFAM) meeting during the 131 st AOAC Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The analysis of sugars in food products has gained significant visibility in the last several years following efforts to lower the caloric values of a number of foods and beverages. In the United States, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now requires that all food products must be labeled with not only total sugar, but added sugar as well. In addition to food and beverage products, several other industries need modern test methods for the analysis of sugars. Methods are needed that can measure select sugars in foods, beverages, infant formula, dietary supplements, and feeds. Methods are needed for accurate quality control in industry and nutrition labeling, and compliance with regulations. An AOAC advisory panel for the project proposes that a working group be formed to develop voluntary consensus standards for two areas of interest: During the AOAC Annual Meeting, the Working Group on Sugars, co-chaired by John Szpylka ( Mérieux NutriSciences ) and Nancy Thiex ( Thiex Laboratory Solutions, LLP ), will examine the background, technical issues and needs, analytical challenges, regulatory requirements, and gaps in current methodology, etc. in developing a fitness-for-purpose statement based on the advisory panel’s priorities. The fitness-for-purpose statement will be reviewed for possible endorsement by SPSFAM, chaired by Erik Konings of Nestlé Research Center . Based on an endorsed fitness-for-purpose, the working group will begin developing the first in a series of draft SMPRs for methods capable of measuring a wide variety of sugars in selected matrices. To participate on the AOAC SPSFAM Working Group on Sugars, click here to sign up. For more information on AOAC’s sugars analysis project or SPSFAM , contact Dawn Frazier , AOAC Executive for Scientific Business Development, at dfrazier@aoac.org . (1) Sugars in animal feed (2) Lactose in low or no-lactose dairy products