Maintaining and Enhancing Accreditation at the Florida Bureau of Food Laboratorie

<p>The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS), Division of Food Safety, Bureau of Food Laboratories achieved accreditation in 2007, and maintains A2LA accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025:2005 for the specific tests listed in A2LA certificates 2534.01 and 2534.02.The Division of Food Safety is responsible for assuring the public of a safe, wholesome and properly represented food supply through permitting and inspection of food establishments, inspection of food products, and performance of specialized laboratory analyses on a variety of food products sold or produced in the State. The Division monitors food from farm gate through processing and distribution to the retail point of purchase. The Division is charged with administration and enforcement of the food and poultry and egg laws, and also provides support in the enforcement of other food safety laws. In addition to regulatory surveillance and enforcement, the Division evaluates consumer complaints related to food. The Division has the responsibility for carrying out its duties or support functions as directed by the following Florida Statutes Chapters: 500, 501, 502, 503, 531, 583, 586, and 601.As the primary regulatory food testing laboratory for Florida in support of the Division of Food Safety, and working for and with our Department's Bureau of Food and Meat Inspection, microbiological and chemical food analyses performed on behalf of the state's manufactured food regulatory programs is conducted within the scope of our accreditation. The DACS Bureau of Food Laboratories is applying for the cooperative agreement titled: ISO/IEC 17025:2005Accreditation for State Food Testing Laboratories (U18), announcement number RFA-FD-12-008, with anticipation of funding 2012 through 2017 for maintaining accreditation and performing enhancements, including expanding the scope of accreditation. The DACS Bureau of Food Laboratories is willing and able to participate in this opportunity, and is fully committed, to increase the analytical capacity of our nation's food testing regulatory laboratory under accreditation, increase our ability to share laboratory results to promote earlier identification and regulatory response to adulterants in the food supply, advancement of a nationally integrated food safety system, and thereby enhance efforts to protect the food supply and work toward ensuring the public's health.</p>