AOAC INTERNATIONAL has recognised its Africa section with the award of "Section of the Year" for 2022. Announcing the selection from among AOAC INTERNATIONAL’S 19 regional sections around the world, Global President Tony Lupo highlighted the Africa Section’s recent achievements:
The AOAC INTERNATIONAL Section of the Year Award recognises the role AOAC Sections play in advancing analytical excellence in the areas of food safety, food integrity, and public health. The Africa Section is being recognised for facilitation of multiple activities throughout the year, communication across various platforms, recruitment, and service to the Association. The Section’s collaboration with the African Organization for Standardisation (ARSO) and Land O’Lakes Venture37.
Collaboration Trade of Agriculture Safely in East Africa (TRASE) demonstrates a high degree of credibility to AOAC and supports the established memorandums of understanding among AOAC, ARSO, and Venture37.
Accepting the award, AOAC Africa President Owen Fraser said: "We are naturally delighted. Most importantly, this Award recognises the key role our members across the continent play every day in advancing food safety capacity in Africa. I’d like to thank them for their continued dedication, because so much remains to be done if Africa is to meet its fast-growing food safety analysis and conformity assessment needs, set against the backdrop of increased intra-continental trade in agrifood products as a result of the Africa Continental Free Trade Area."
The Section conducted a survey of laboratories in the region in late 2021, which shows accredited laboratories increased by 23%, and 65% of food testing labs regularly participated in an ISO 17043 accredited proficiency testing scheme. However, the proportion of accredited laboratories on the continent remains below two-thirds; and over a third of laboratories surveyed had no active training programme, raising serious concerns around preparation of the next generation of Africa’s analytical chemists; and highlighting the need for governments and their partners to prioritise investment in physical and human analytical capacity urgently.
Committed to making tangible improvements in the continent’s food safety landscape, AOAC Africa Section continues to engage with potential new partners to increase membership in the region and promote recognition of AOAC. In addition, involvement of its young scientists within the organisation and programme of the Section’s annual meeting ensure recognition of AOAC, and succession in the future. The Africa Section also provides an online digital platform fostering sharing and communication between laboratories for regulatory compliance assessment in African countries. These efforts are key parts of the Section’s Analytical Method Alignment and Harmonisation activity.
Concluding, Tony Lupo said: "By bringing together members, organisations, and experts dedicated to developing and validating standards, methods, and technologies that are of relevance in the region, Sections help to achieve the vision, mission, and goals of AOAC INTERNATIONAL. The Africa Section has done all this and more in 2021 and 2022 in an exemplary fashion. We would especially like to recognise Owen as Section President, for his leadership.
About AOAC International
AOAC INTERNATIONAL brings together government, industry, and academia to establish standard methods of analysis that ensure the safety and integrity of foods and other products that impact public health around the world.As a leader of analytical excellence, AOAC INTERNATIONAL advances food safety, food integrity, and public health, by bringing together members, organizations, and experts dedicated to developing and validating standards, methods, and technologies of global relevance. AOAC INTERNATIONAL is a 501(c)(3), independent, third party, not-for-profit association and voluntary consensus standards developing organization.
About AOAC Africa
The Africa Section of AOAC INTERNATIONAL serves as an effective vehicle to drive the improvement of analytical competence and capabilities as well as improving the standards and performance of food testing labs in this region – be it private, research, academic or Government. This platform can also foster more public-private engagements, bringing tremendous benefits for the consumers and economies in this region. AOAC INTERNATIONAL Africa Section is a leading Regional Professional Scientific Association, building confidence in analytical results and dedicated to promoting and advancing the knowledge and best practices in the analytical sciences’ in our Region. This Section aims to achieve its goals through collaboration, training & education, analytical methods development & harmonisation, the extension of the scope of Official Methods (to include indigenous foods where required) and to serve as an independent and impartial scientific advisory body.
