AOAC validation of qualitative and quantitative methods for microbiology in foods

The purpose of AOAC International is promoting quality measurements and methods validation in the analytical sciences. The actual work of developing and testing methods is done by a network of AOAC members and volunteers. Validation of the methods is established by the AOAC Official Methods Program. The objective of this program is to provide analytical methods for which performance characteristics have been validated to the highest degree of confidence through an independent, multiple laboratory collaborative study. The performance characteristics for quantitative microbiological methods include repeatability, reproducibility and critical relative difference, while the characteristics for qualitative methods are sensitivity and specificity. The Official Methods Program is illustrated by a practical example of a collaborative study through which salmonella detection by motility enrichment on Modified Semi-solid Rappaport-Vassiliadis (MSRV) medium was adopted as an Official Method.