Support for TDA Kord Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory's participation in the FDA's Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network

Abstract Work performed by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) under the proposed Vet-LIRN cooperative agreement supports the following: 1. Strengthening the national food safety system’s ability to identify potential adulteration or contamination of animal foods or animal drugs by supporting research and capacity building through case investigations (chemical, microbiological, and/or pathological) within the purview of a veterinary diagnostic laboratory; 2. Validating and harmonizing analytical methods and equipment platforms across the national food safety network; 3. Strengthening inter-agency coordination of veterinary diagnostic laboratories as their efforts relate to the national food safety system and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) through potential animal foodborne illness outbreaks; 4. Maintaining excellence in quality assurance through employee training and proficiency exercises, and developing inter-agency data sharing processes; 5. Expanding the laboratory’s ISO/IEC 17025:2017 scope of accreditation as it relates to animal diagnostics and food/feed testing. The mechanism for achieving the above is active participation in the FDA Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN). The Vet-LIRN partnership spans across various state and federal agencies and provides a mechanism for surge testing in the event of an emergency. The network also offers proficiency testing or interlaboratory comparison exercises for a variety of toxicological and microbiological agents that could negatively impact the food supply. In the event of an emergency, the TN Department of Agriculture (TDA) may receive samples collected by federal, state, or local government agencies or other local sources as deemed necessary for the response effort. TDA is uniquely qualified to participate in this agreement as the department’s veterinary diagnostic laboratory, the C. E. Kord Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory (KAHDL), shares a facility with the laboratory that services the state’s Animal Feed Regulatory Standards Program (AFRPS) testing. This second laboratory, the Technical Services Laboratory (TSL), complements KAHDL in terms of testing capabilities and expertise. KAHDL staff are highly qualified to perform veterinary diagnostic work while TSL staff have a demonstrated history of success performing regulatory pet food/animal feed analysis. Additionally, the two laboratory branches share leadership, including a Quality Manager and Lab Administrator/Director. The overall goals for the project will be to renew KAHDL’s commitment to the Vet-LIRN partnership, to provide quality analytical data in a timely manner, and to enhance the laboratory’s scope of accreditation under ISO/IEC 17025:2017. Small scale method development and/or validation projects may also be undertaken at the request of the Vet-LIRN Program Office (VPO). TDA has other agreements with FDA relating to food/feed testing, and this new/renewed Vet-LIRN partnership further demonstrates the commitment that both agencies have to the preservation of the food/feed supply.