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.
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.
Features and Benefits
The 11th Edition is the first online-only AACC Approved Methods of Analysis and is the only edition supported by the Cereals & Grains Association. 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.
The 11th Edition includes enhancements designed to help users understand or perform specific methods better or more quickly. Built-in calculators, videos, spreadsheets, co-lab reports, audio PowerPoints, and color images are enhancements you will find in the 11th Edition. Look for a camera icon for a photograph; an Excel icon for a spreadsheet; and a calculator icon for a calculator. The technical committees will continue to add enhancements, to the 11th Edition, and suggestions for enhancements are welcome.
Users of this edition will find an extensive and up-to-date Supplier Index specific to each method that includes information about suppliers of specialized reagents and apparatus needed in the method.
Internationally Accepted
Requirements for the AACC Approved Methods of Analysis, 11th Edition, are consistent with those set by AOAC International, AOCS, ISO, and the U.S. FDA’s Bacteriological Analytical Manual. Cereals & Grains Association and ICC continue to work on harmonizing grain-based methods that are important internationally. 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.
Cereals & Grains Association Technical Communities
Cereals & Grains Association Technical Committees do the important work that makes the methods possible. Overseeing collaborative studies, peer review, and statistical verification and providing enhancements are among the many responsibilities of the 22 Approved Methods Technical Committees. These committees are active throughout the year, and the online edition allows for real-time distribution of new methods as they are approved by the committees. New committees are added as new issues emerge and conditions require. The Food Safety and Microbiology Committee works on important tests for food laboratories in this especially critical area. AACC Approved Methods of Analysis from previous editions for the identification of microorganisms, mycotoxins, chemical residues, and insect and rodent infestation in flour and grain-based products continue to be an important component of the 11th Edition. The 11th Edition also marked the beginning of a new Bioactive Compounds Methods Committee, which will add methods in this key area of grain science. Other committees work to keep current with today’s grain industry challenges.
Access to the 11th Edition
Access to the online-only 11th Edition is by company subscription. Once subscribed, all company employees at a licensed location will have 24-hours-per-day, 7-days-per-week access without the need for login or password. AACC Approved Methods of Analysis have traditionally been purchased by companies in print or CD format, and this new ease-of-access online delivery system allows for on-demand, widespread distribution to the desktops of all technical staff employed by the company. Cereals & Grains Association can provide licensing to different-sized labs with the same high-quality methods and enhancements. Small company labs qualify for a lower subscription rate than larger companies or labs with strong involvement in grain science. Academic and government licensing is also available. The only individual license available is for self-employed consultants.
The methods are delivered in PDF format, which allows printing on demand for companies with print file requirements in their quality programs.
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