Maintenance and Enhancement of ISO/IEC 17025 Accreditation for State Food Testing Laboratories

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), Division of FoodSafety, Bureau of Laboratories achieved accreditation in 2007, and maintains A2LAaccreditation to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 for the specific tests listed in A2LA certificates 2534.01and 2534.02 (available at www.A2LA.org). The Division of Food Safety is directly responsiblefor assuring the public of a safe, wholesome and properly represented food supply. This isaccomplished through the permitting and inspection of food establishments; inspection andevaluation of food and dairy products; and the performance of biological and chemicallaboratory testing on a variety of food and dairy products sold and/or produced in Florida. Thedivision monitors food and dairy products from manufacturing through distribution to retail sale.The Division is charged with administration and enforcement of the food and poultry and egglaws, and also provides support in the enforcement of other food safety laws. In addition toregulatory surveillance and enforcement, the Division evaluates consumer complaints related tofood. The Division has the responsibility for carrying out its duties or support functions asdirected by the following Florida Statutes Chapters: 500, 502, 583, 586, and 601.As the primary regulatory food testing laboratory for Florida the FDACS Division of Food SafetyLaboratories work with our Division's Bureau of Food Inspection to conduct microbiological andchemical food analyses on behalf of the state?s manufactured food regulatory programs(MFRPS). These analyses are conducted within the scope of our ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation.The Division of Food Safety, Bureau of Laboratories is applying for the cooperative agreementtitled: Maintenance and Enhancement of ISO/IEC 17025 Accreditation and Whole GenomeSequencing for State Food Testing Laboratories, announcement number RFA-FD-19- 018, withanticipation of funding from 2019 through 2020 for maintaining accreditation and performingenhancements to the accredited laboratory system. The Laboratories have activelyparticipated in the project titled "Maintaining and Enhancing Accreditation at the Florida Bureauof Food Laboratories" under current grant number 5U18FD006241-01 and previous grant5U18FD004474 continuously since 2012.The Division of Food Safety, Bureau of Laboratories is willing and able to participate in thisopportunity, and is fully committed, to increase the analytical capacity of our nation?s foodtesting regulatory laboratory under accreditation, increase our ability to share laboratory resultsto promote earlier identification and regulatory response to adulterants in the food supply,advancement of a nationally integrated food safety system, and thereby enhance efforts toprotect the food supply and work toward ensuring the public?s health. FDACS Division of FoodSafety Laboratories are active participants in the FERN programs and are currently one of theFDA FERN CAP laboratories under grant number 1U18FD005506.