NJ Department of Agriculture, Animal Food Product Testing and Capability/Capacity Development for Integrated Food Safety

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Project Summary (Overall) The New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA) laboratory would like to participate in the Laboratory Flexible Funding Model (LFFM) projects to improve animal food surveillance through obtaining laboratory equipment, supplies, personnel, and training in standardized testing methodologies as well as quality assurance. Participation in the LFFM will enhance the animal food analytical capabilities of the NJDA laboratory and help maintain the ISO 17025:2017 accreditation. The LFFM co-operative agreement program will help the NJDA laboratory develop and maintain analytical methods needed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the New Jersey State animal food regulatory agency (Division of Marketing and Development), undertake proficiency testing provided by external agencies, and implement animal food sampling plans. The laboratory will be able to provide defensible laboratory data for regulatory action. The NJDA laboratory will be able to enhance animal food testing capacity and capability by implementing whole genome sequencing of the food borne and related veterinary clinical bacterial isolates. The laboratory will share testing and sequencing data with the FDA. The laboratory will develop surge capacity needed to provide analytical services in the event of a large-scale microbiological or chemical event through contaminated animal food. The laboratory will also participate in mentoring program in collaboration with FDA and other participating laboratories. Overall, the LFFM co-operative agreement program will enable development of integrated laboratory science and food safety in the State of New Jersey and the United States in support of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).