AOAC SEA is a unique platform with different mechanisms for engagement, serving as a bridge between AOAC INTERNATIONAL and the SEA region, and as a vehicle to convene government, academia and industry sectors. We engage with the community through working group activities, online discussion forums, newsletter and social media releases, and various activities.

With the 2023 AOAC SEA 2nd Annual Conference to be held in Ho Chi Minh City from 1-2 August, we have performed a multitude of activities, continuously looking for opportunities to bring the community together and further expand positive impacts to the scientific communities, economies in the region, and global public health.

With the Institute of Drug Quality Control in Ho Chi Minh City (IDQC-HCMC) as the conference co-organizer, we called for proposals that align with the conference theme Facilitating Compliance for Food Safety and Quality in International Trade.

The section-wide Call for Proposals received online submissions from key individuals, highlighting the needs for ensuring the safety and quality of food containing probiotics including fermented food, dietary supplement, fermented beverage, and infant formulas with probiotics. There are also interests in learning from regulatory leaders about emerging issues topics.

Parallelly, AOAC SEA Working Groups collected interests and proposals from within their groups. Many potential topics and speakers were raised, showcasing capabilities to coordinate with international NGOs, government agencies, and industry players.

At the 2022 AOAC SEA 1st Annual Conference, two women experts observed the underrepresentation of microbiologists in the community and took the initiative to form the Microbiology Working Group (MWG).

The objective of the working group is to identify needs associated with the implementation of microbiological food safety by driving scientific agreement along with microbiological capability development. The end goal is to help the food supply chain reduces foodborne microbial incidents and recalls and protect public health.

In the upcoming meeting this May, the working group members will discuss about MWG Survey results and proposal submission to MicroVal & AFNOR for lab capability development in SEA. They will also talk about 2023 AOAC SEA Annual Conference Microbiology Topics.

In a recent meeting, the Emerging Issues Working Group (EI WG) formed Voluntary Expert Panels who will attend EI WG meeting on monthly basis, contribute to content creation of EI WG newsletter quarterly, and be speakers or representatives of AOAC SEA on volunteer basis. This is supported by scientists and managements from governments (Vietnam National Institute for Food Control and Singapore Food Agency), industry (commercial testing lab and technology providers), and academia.

The working group also identified regional interest areas, emerging contaminants of the region, and novel regulatory issues. Many of these will be reflected in the 2023 AOAC SEA 2nd Annual Conference in Ho Chi Minh City.

The Harmonization of Methods Working Group (HoM WG) already set a 5-Year Road Map based on the conceptual framework, starting with a Gap Analysis Report to identify areas for prioritization in the harmonization objective. The working group aims to identify methods to harmonize that are in line with Southeast Asia priorities to achieve uniformity or conversion of results. The ultimate goal is to support different countries in the region to use data from different laboratories, enhancing economic efficiency and regional/international trading.

The 2023 AOAC SEA 2nd Annual Conference with the theme Facilitating Compliance for Food Safety and Quality in International Trade will be the perfect platform for the HoM WG to get more representative and contextual needs of the host and participating countries. It is also an opportunity to increase awareness and supporting actions towards laboratory accreditation and test method harmonization to address requirements of technical barriers to international trade.

Matrix Analytical Technologies (MAT) was introduced to AOAC SEA Section by one of our kind, driven volunteers based in Malaysia. The company started locally with roots in research instruments supporting palm oil, food, and agricultural industries. MAT now represents a wide range of scientific instruments for laboratories and industries, and has expanded its footprints in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.

By becoming the 2022 AOAC SEA Conference Bag Sponsor, Matrix Analytical Technologies has increased awareness about its presence in the analytical community of the rising Southeast Asia market. As a new name, their website was checked out the most in the newsletter distributions. As the conference bag sponsor of AOAC SEA, MAT has established foundations within the community to create and manage profitable customer relationships with sustainable competitive advantage.

DIAMOND SPONSORS

Merck

We appreciate the generous support of the 2023 AOAC SEA Conference Sponsors who help bring the conference themed Facilitating Compliance for Food Safety and Quality in International Trade to the needed community in the region, and thus serve AOAC SEA's mission in convening government, industry and academia to develop and validate standards, methods and technologies, and ensure the safety and integrity of foods and other products that impact public health.

THANK YOU!