Laboratory Flexible Funding Model: Enhancing Human Food Testing in North Carolina in Support of an Integrated Food Safety System

Project Summary - Overall The Food and Drug Protection Division (FDPD) within the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will support a nationally integrated and prevention-focused food safety system through increased surveillance of human foods for microbiological and chemical adulterants and data-sharing with state and federal partners. The FDPD Laboratory and regulatory Food Program will collaborate to develop and execute annual sampling and analysis plans aligned with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) priorities. Because the Food Program has fully implemented the Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards and the Laboratory maintains ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation for a broad suite of microbiological and chemical analytes, FDPD is confident that all data shared with FDA and partner states will be accurate, precise and actionable. FDPD additionally commits to responding quickly to emerging threats to the nation’s food supply by shifting sampling and analysis priorities upon FDA request and assisting FDA with method development projects that expand food safety testing capabilities.