The Association of Official Agricultural Chemists Africa (AOAC Africa) has established a partnership with the African Organization for Standardization (ARSO) to develop analytical methods for the continent’s most widely consumed foods.

According to Owen Fraser, Ph.D., President of AOAC Africa, until recently, there existed very few testing methods for common foods in Africa. For example, AOAC and ARSO have been working to develop a testing method for contaminants and nutritional contents in cassava. ARSO Secretary General Hermogene Nsengimana added that the development of fit-for-purpose testing methods, such as the method being developed for cassava, will enable African food producers to be competitive in a global trading market and that their foods will be safe and high-quality. The development of such analytical methods is aligned with ARSO’s goal of achieving “One Standard, One Test, Accepted Everywhere.”