MOU signed by AOAC International and USDA FSIS for food testing methods

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and AOAC International (AOAC) have signed a Memorandum of Agriculture (MOU) in June 2025. According to a press release,¹ the MOU “establishes a strategic framework for developing, validating, and recognizing methods FSIS laboratories, as well as regulated establishments, use to verify the effectiveness of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) based food safety systems.”

Under the authority of the Federal Meat Inspection Act, the Poultry Products Inspection Act, the Egg Products Inspection Act, and the Humane Methods of Slaughter Act, FSIS is responsible for food safety and humane animal handling, duties carried out through its enforcement of these acts.¹

“This new MOU with FSIS marks a pivotal step forward in our shared commitment to promote public health,” said David B. Schmidt, AOAC Executive Director.¹ “By strengthening our collaboration, we are facilitating an even more resilient food safety system—one that ensures regulatory testing is backed by science, vigilance, and trusted methods.”

AOAC and FSIS will collaborate on several iniatiatives such as those regarding education and scientific method training, creation of Standard Method Performance Requirements (SMPR) documents; development of proficiency testing programs; validation guidance and/or method validation protocols; and adoption or certification of methods for specific regulations or monitoring programs, for example Salmonella quantification.¹ Methods that are developed will then be validated through AOAC’s Official Methods of Analysis (OMA) or Performance Tested Methods (PTM) programs.

“The involvement of FSIS experts in the development of AOAC standards and evaluation of methods submitted for method conformity assessment through AOAC OMA and PTM programs is very important for ensuring their fitness for purpose from both scientific and regulatory perspectives,” said Katerina Mastovska, Ph.D., AOAC Deputy Executive Director and Chief Science Officer.¹

Reference

1. AOAC INTERNATIONAL. AOAC INTERNATIONAL and USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service Establish MOU for Food Test Methods https://www.aoac.org/news/aoac-international-and-usda-food-safety-and-inspection-service-establish-mou-for-food-test-methods/ (accessed Jul 25, 2025).