Global Harmonization of Analytical Methods

Publisher Summary Global harmonization of regulations as well as standard methods of analysis would benefit the food industry, but more important, would benefit the world's consumers significantly. Analytical methods used to analyze the basic composition and quality of food products need to be more specific to reduce food safety concerns as well as the threat of economic adulterants. The analytical methods for establishing the nutrient content of foods should also be harmonized to avoid lengthening the product development process and increasing the cost to introduce new products, such as fortified foods, into the global market. Finally, harmonizing the analytical as well as the regulatory approach to food contaminants would focus testing efforts on ensuring food safety and would reduce the destruction of foods that may be safe to consume.