With its mission to “advance food safety and product integrity through standards, validated test methods, and laboratory quality programs,” AOAC International recently announced winners at the AOAC International Awards Program at the 139th Annual Meeting & Exposition from August 23-28, 2025, in San Diego California.1 Several awards related to food testing methods and supplement testing were presented. The award ceremony recognized the work of analytical scientist leaders in areas including method development, expert review panels (ERPs), technical service, and contributions of the peer-reviewed Journal of AOAC INTERNATIONAL.
Harvey W. Wiley Award recognizes advances in veterinary drug residue testing
The Harvey W. Wiley Award, recognizing significant contributions to analytical method development, was presented to French chemist Eric Verdon, head of the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety (ANSES) and head of the National and European Union Reference Laboratory (EU-RL) for Veterinary Medicinal Products (VMP) Antibiotic and Dye Residues in Food from Animal Origin.2 The award, first presented in 1957, is called the organization’s most prestigious award.3 Verdon’s work involves developing screening methods for veterinary drug residues in meat, eggs, honey, animal feed, shellfish, and more.
“Testing for Life” Student Award
Another award presented was the AOAC/Eurofins Foundation “Testing for Life” Student Award was presented to five students for the abstracts on research for analytical or molecular testing for food safety, food security, food defense, food authenticity, and more.
AOAC INTERNATIONAL/Herbalife Scholarship
Supported by dietary supplement developer Herbalife, the AOAC INTERNATIONAL/Herbalife Scholarship supports students researching analytical or molecular testing in herbal or dietary supplements, and was awarded to Sheng-Luen (Kevin) Shih, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA; and to Matej Maly, University of Chemistry and Technology (UCT), Prague, Czech Republic.
Method of the Year: β-GOS Testing in Infant Formula
The AOAC Official MethodSM 2021.01 “β-Galactooligosaccharides (GOS) in Infant Formula by UHPLC,” authored by Sean Austin and Denis Cuany, Société des Produits Nestlé, Lausanne, Switzerland, provides a new approach to analyzing GOS in products high in lactose or galactose and was awarded Method of the Year. The method can be used in GOS measurement in infant powders, ready-to-feed liquids, and liquid concentrates. At levels from 0.2 g/100 g to 3.0 g/100 g on a ready-to-feed basis.
Achievement in Technical and Scientific Excellence
The AOAC Gluten and Food Allergens (GFA) Program Working Group on Food Allergens was awarded the Achievement in Technical and Scientific Excellence. The group, one of the largest developing AOAC standards, had completed the “Guidance on Food Allergen Immunoassay Validation,” in 2023 and it was approved and published in 2024.
Best Manuscript Award
The Journal of AOAC INTERNATIONAL article, “Using Liquid Chromatography—Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry for Detection of Economically Motivated Adulteration of Maple Syrup,” was presented the Best Manuscript Award, and was authored by Madhavi Mantha, Kevin M. Kubachka, John R. Urban, Jana L. Brueggemeyer, Lisa A. Kaine, and Reagan A. Patton, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of the Chief Scientist, Detroit Medical Products Laboratory, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
USDA–AOAC Food Safety Agreement
Earlier this year, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) and AOAC International (AOAC) announced the signing of a Memorandum of Agriculture (MOA) to promote food safety and public health.4 The FSIS is responsible for ensuring safe and properly labeled animal products including eggs, meat, and poultry. The MOA “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.”
References
AOAC International. Analytical Science Leaders Honored at AOAC INTERNATIONAL 2025 Annual Meeting. September 26, 2025. https://www.aoac.org/news/analytical-science-leaders-honored-at-aoac-international-2025-annual-meeting/ (accessed 2025-09-29).AOAC International. 2025 AOAC AWARDS. https://www.aoac.org/2025-annual-meeting-exposition/2025-aoac-awards/#poster (accessed 2025-09-29).AOAC International. AOAC Awards Program. https://www.aoac.org/membership/awards/ (accessed 2025-09-29).Colli, M. MOU signed by AOAC International and USDA FSIS for food testing methods. July 25, 2025. https://www.nutritionaloutlook.com/view/mou-signed-by-aoac-international-and-usda-fsis-for-food-testing-methods (accessed 2025-09-29).
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