Enhancing Food Testing Capabilities at the WVDA through Discipline D: Special Projects; Analytical Track 1: Sample Collection

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Project Summary for Discipline D, Analytical track 1: Sample Collection The cooperative agreement PAR-20-105: Laboratory Flexible Funding Model is intended to enhance the capacity and capabilities of state human and animal food testing laboratories in support of an integrated food safety system. Specifically, through sample testing in the areas of microbiology and chemistry and the development of special projects that would support and expand that testing. This project will strengthen and improve the collaboration of surveillance testing activities between the FDA and our state and local laboratory partners to continue building a nationally integrated laboratory science system. The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) is the primary regulatory agency and laboratory for the Animal Food Regulatory Program Standards (AFRPS). The WVDA also has the Manufactured Foods Regulatory Program Standards (MFRPS) cooperative agreement with the FDA and is the primary laboratory in the state conducting testing for the program. The laboratory desires to enhance their capacity and capabilities of both programs in both the Microbiology and Chemistry Disciplines through the FDA Laboratory Flexible Funding Model Cooperative Agreement surveillance project. Samples will be collected by the WVDA Regulatory Officers and will be analyzed by the WVDA Laboratory. Both parties will approve a sampling plan for each year. Currently, the WVDA is accredited for 18 microbiological methods with three of the Salmonella methods being approved for animal feed. Any methods used for surveillance activities will follow ISO 17025 guidelines including proficiency testing and method validations. With the current established framework at the WVDA of personnel, facilities, ISO accreditation, on-going involvement of surveillance activities, and MFRPS and AFRPS programs, the WVDA is committed to completing the objectives of this agreement. This project will enhance the surveillance efforts in West Virginia in order to support an integrated food safety system and enhance the collaboration with the FDA to build a nationally integrated laboratory science system.