Surveillance of Animal Food Products for Microbial and Chemical Contaminants by LDAF Agricultural Chemistry Laboratory to Support FDA's National Integrated Food Safety System.

OVERALL ABSTRACT The Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) Agricultural Chemistry Laboratory is proposing to test microbiological and chemical constituents in animal food for the integrated food safety system established by the FDA. All samples, 100 for microbial analysis and 250 for chemical analysis, will be collected statewide under the directive of LDAF Feed Program which is Animal Feed Regulatory Program Standards (AFRPS) compliant. Proximity to the feed program will allow immediate regulatory action ensuring the health of both humans and animals. Additionally, the Agricultural Chemistry Laboratory is accredited to ISO 17025:2017, with validated methods on scope for analyzing Salmonella spp., aflatoxin, fumonisin, DON, minerals and metals in animal feeds and pet foods. It houses all pertinent analytical equipment as well as experienced and competent personnel needed to maintain quality data for this nationally integrated laboratory food safety system. The organizational position held by the LDAF Agricultural Chemistry Laboratory places it in a strategic position to produce sample outputs that will add to a risk-based and prevention focused food safety system that both the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as well as the state can use to track and trend, and identify emerging issues about potential food safety as well as evaluate future sampling initiatives and areas of focus. The funding from this new cooperative agreement can help equip the Agricultural Chemistry Laboratory with additional resources to build and increase sample throughput capacity and capability for our state to respond to any safety hazards requiring multi-state response and national coordination/ support.