Food Safety & BSE/Ruminant Feed Ban Support Project

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SUMMARY Pre-Application for Cooperative Agreement Submitted by Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) Title RFDA-FD-10-002 Feed Safety and Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE)/Ruminant Feed Ban Support Project (U18) CFDA 93.449 The Laboratory of the Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship would like to partner with FDA to increase the surveillance of feed for contaminants that would pose a safety risk to humans and livestock. To achieve expanded testing capabilities, IDALS proposes to increase its laboratory efforts in the areas of heavy metals, mycotoxins, prohibited material, and pathogenic microorganisms. In summary, the laboratory aspect of this submittal requests financial support to hire a full-time chemist and to purchase an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) system to test for heavy metals in feeds. A microtiter plate reader would also be purchased to quantify mycotoxins in antibody-based (ELISA) tests. IDALS' laboratory is already equipped and staffed to conduct prohibited material testing. The remainder of the Laboratory's financial segment is for purchase of items to accomplish the testing - chemicals, disposables, maintenance, extraction kits, ELISA kits, etc. With the infrastructure that exists, IDALS can synergize with this additional funding and create a win/win situation, where a significant increase in feed-safety related testing will result in a safer food supply and an increased awareness by those in the feed and animal industry who are directly involved with producing food. All the inspectors and investigators (10) in the Feed & Fertilizer Bureau of IDALS have their FDA credientials. All will be involved in sample collection which will result in a statewide and balanced representation. In addition, one investigator will be assigned to perform BSE on-farm inspections, focusing on Iowa's 2011 dairy operations. The Feed and Fertilzer Bureau also proposes to conduct food safety surveys in order to explore the use and application of the principles in Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point in Iowa's feed manufacturing industry. Not only will results be an indicator of weaknesses that may be addressed but will be an opportunity to dispense written guidance and information. The Feed and Fertilizer Bureau plans to conduct these inspections in conjunction with its contracted BSE/GMP inspections, encompassing feed mills that are nonmedicated (including ethanol plants), nonfederally licensed and medicated, and federally licensed. Data collected throughout the 5-year project will be made readily available at any time to FDA and other states. Because Iowa is second in overall agricultural exports, first in live animals and meat, and first in feed grains and products, this program is not only cost-efficient but has the potential to produce a spectrum of information beneficial to numerous states as well as FDA.