CFW REPORT The Joint AACC International-ICC Methods Harmonization Project PHIL WILLIAMS,' MEINOLF G. LINDHAUER, 2 ROLAND E. POMS,3 RANDY L. WEHLING, 4 WOLFGANG BERGTHALLER, 5 CHARLES S. GAINES6 Analytical chemistry was the basis of the formation of both AACC International and the International Association for Cereal Science and Technology (ICC). The original concept of an as- sociation of cereal chemists originated as long ago as 1915, when a group of mainly flour-mill chemists, of whom the ques- tion had been asked "Why can't you chemists agree on your re- ports?" met in Kansas CiIy, MO. The American Association of Cereal Chemists was first officially recognized on January 1. 1923 (2). From the humble beginnings of coordinating analytical methods, scientists of AACC Intl. have contributed an imposing volume of elegant and valuable research into many aspects of cereal chemistry. The fundamental research has probed the rea- sons underlying the complicated behavior of the components of cereals and their derived products. The applied research has ad- dressed mainly the improvement of existing, and the introduc- tion of new, analytical methods, processes, and products. Ana- lytical chemistry remains the basis of Cereal Chemistry. ICC is a global organization with its headquarters in Vienna. Austria, with member countries on all continents. It was estab- lished in 1955, with the original concept of the development of internationally approved standard testing procedures for cereals and flour (I). Founded during a disorderly period in European history. ICC provided a platform for cereal scientists to meet, exchange ideas, and cooperate with one another across ideologi- cal and political borders. One of the objectives of ICC is to standardize analytical meth- ods in cereal science and technology, as well as food safety and quality in general. The association has focused on standardiza- tion of analytical methods, on exchange of technical informa- tion, and extension of knowledge of cereal chemistry and tech- I PDK Projects Inc., 5072 Vista View Crescent, Nanaimo, B.C. V9V 1L6, Canada: philwilliams@pdkgrain.com . 2 Max Rubner Institute, Federal Research Institute for Nutrition and Food, Det- mold 32756. Germany. 3 General Secretary, ICC. Marxergasse 2, A-I030 Vienna. Austria: office@icc. or.at . 4 Department of Food Science and Technology. University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588. Max Rubner Institute, Federal Research Institute for Nutrition and Food, Det. mold 32756. Germany (retired). 6 USDA ARS Soft Wheat Quality Laboratory, Wooster, OH 44691-4096 (re- tired). doi:10.1094 / CFW-53-2-0099 © 2008 AACC International, Inc. nology among member nations. Both AACC Intl. and ICC have developed independent compendia of analytical methods for ap- plication to cereals and their products, and both associations have rigorous procedures for the approval of new methods and of modifications to existing methods. Some uncertainty has existed among laboratories in some ICC membership countries as to whether methods approved by AACC Intl. or ICC would he the most appropriate, and legally acceptable, for use in their labora- tories. The same degree of uncertainty has existed in cereal labo- ratories in North America and elsewhere. Both organizations hold some kind of liaison to the Interna- tional Standards Organization (ISO) and the European Commit- tee for Standardization (CEN). To improve global communica- tion, to avoid duplication of efforts, and to avoid confusion of users of both organizations' methods, the two associations have decided to initialize a harmonization process with global impli- cations. Concentrating efforts and promoting standards with one voice should be achieved by 1) harmonizing existing standard methods issued by AACC Intl. and ICC, and by 2) sharing work- ing groups. and 3) conducting joint validation studies. About five years ago both associations agreed to develop a set of methods that would be acceptable by any cereal laboratory for the analysis of constituents and parameters that are frequently tested by cereal laboratories all over the world. Constituents are defined as actual components of grains and derived products, such as protein and moisture. Parameters are defined as factors that contribute to the functionality of cereals and their derived products, such as the gluten index and the sedimentation vol- ume. The development of coordinating the methods involved 1) identifying areas of the individual methods where changes were needed that would make the methods acceptable to all cereal laboratories, and 2) making suggestions for the possible chang- es. The process has been documented under the joint AACC Intl.- ICC Methods Harmonization Project. This paper describes the methods that were addressed and the main suggestions made for changes. The Methods Proposed for Harmonization Starting in 2003 at meetings held at the AACC Intl. annual conventions, it was decided that nine methods should be stan- dardized. Most of them fell under the responsibility of the Meth- ods for Grains and Flour Testing Technical Committee, which drafted a set of suggestions for harmonization of the methods. CEREAL FOODS WORLD / 99