History
Cereals & Grains Association (formerly AACC International, American Association of Cereal Chemists) was founded in 1915 for the purpose of standardizing methods of analysis among cereal laboratories. The first release, Methods for the Analysis of Cereals and Cereal Products, was published in 1922. Since then, this collection of methods has been the most respected, referred to, and relied on source for food scientists, processors, and product developers in the field of grain sciences and technology.
The 11th Edition
AACC Approved Methods of Analysis, 11th Edition,
was produced under the direction of the Approved Methods Leadership
Committee, which is composed of the 22 chairs of the Technical Subject
Matter Committees under the direction of chair Anne Bridges and
vice-chair Paul Wehling. Methods are developed and reviewed by the
technical committees for functionality and consistency before final
approval by the Approved Methods Technical Leadership Committee.
The
Approved Methods Technical Committee chair participates in the
International Codex meetings to ensure international compliance and
acceptance. AACC Approved Methods of Analysis, 11th Edition,
are used in food and grain laboratories in Europe, South America, the
Pacific Rim, the Middle East, and North America, and other international
locations. AACC Technical Committee members include representatives
from all of these regions.
The 11th Edition is the first online-only AACC Approved Methods of Analysis and is the only edition supported by the Cereals & Grains Association. This edition features some important changes:
- The
online-only format allows for continual updating of all 350 methods
approved by the technical committees and assures that you are using the
most up-to-date methods available.
- A new numbering system was
implemented and Digital Object Identification (DOI) numbers were added
to the 11th Edition, which should be included in citations and will help
scientists find the methods online when they are referenced in
scientific journals.
- Going forward, methods that are revised and
replaced by new, improved versions will be archived and remain
available for reference in the online 11th Edition. A cross-reference
table will help you find a prior edition’s method in the new 11th
Edition
Standards Affiliations
Codex Alimentarius
Cereals & Grains Association Technical Committee representatives are participating in Codex Alimentarius on a number of commodity committees, the dietary fibre and the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling (CCMAS). Cereals & Grains Association (formerly AACC) has a history of active participation through the Codex Committee on Cereals, Pulses and Legumes which was retired in 1995. Cereals & Grains Association has Codex Alimentarius “Observer Status,” which enables us to present Cereals & Grains Association member positions directly to the international Codex Alimentatius discussions. In the meantime, we continue to participate through the international Codex contact points.
Inter-agency Meeting (IAM)
Inter-agency Meeting has accepted and approved the request from Cereals & Grains Association as a member of the Interagency Approved Meeting to advise on methods of analysis and sampling at CCMAS.
AOAC International
Many methods are consistent with the AOAC International (formerly Association of Official Analytical Chemists) methods, and the method validation collaborative trials follow the same guidelines and performance criteria.
American Oil Chemists' Society
We continue to work to co-recognize AOCS methods when appropriate.
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM)
We also co-recognize the FDA's BAM methods when appropriate.
International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
Cereals & Grains Association Technical Committees participate in the activities of ISO, in TC 34, and in particular SC 4 and SC 16. ISO works through American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and other standards organizations around the world. Cereals & Grains Association members can work with the Technical Committees through the USA-based Technical Advisory Groups (TAGs) or join their local TAG for specific matrices and applications.
ICC
Cereals & Grains Association and the International Association for Cereal Science and Technology (ICC) have developed a sub-set of harmonized methods that are acceptable by any cereals laboratory worldwide for the analysis of key constituents and parameters that are frequently tested on an international basis.
