Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Implementation of the Animal Feed Regulatory Standards

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Implementation of the Animal Feed Regulatory Program Standards (AFRPS) and the ISO/OES 17025:2005 Accreditation of the Feed Control Laboratory in the Missouri Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Feed, Seed and Treated Timber. Since Missouri is home to a significant percentage of the nation’s livestock and pet food production, the regulation of feed is of vital importance for the protection of livestock feed and pet food consumers and producers. As evidenced by recent significant feed adulteration events, feed is an important link to the human food supply and is therefore an important element of the human food safety equation. The Bureau of Feed, Seed and Treated Timber (Bureau) has regulatory responsibility of livestock feed and pet food sold, distributed and manufactured in Missouri. The Bureau operates under the authority of the Director of the Missouri Department of Agriculture and within the Division of Plant Industries and also operates the Missouri Feed Control Laboratory (Lab). The Lab analyzes 5,000 surveillance feed samples annually. The feeds represented by these samples are produced both in Missouri and across the nation and are obtained by program inspectors on a weekly basis from retail, distribution and manufacturing firms. The Bureau considers the implementation of AFRPS as an important step in fulfilling its role as a crucial and significant partner with FDA in protection of this state’s and our nation’s food supply. The Bureau ‘s intent is to utilize cooperative grant funds to meet critical needs of the inspection program to realize full implementation of the Standards and the Laboratory goal to achieve ISO/OES 17025:2005 Accreditation within 5 years. The inspection program expects to utilize FDA Cooperative Grant funds to improve program capability in four ways: based on proper risk analysis, increase inspector strength to appropriate levels, provide adequate training to inspectional personnel, disseminate information and education to industry and acquire technology to improve program productivity and efficiency. The Lab will utilize FDA Cooperative Grant funds to expand the capacity of the national food safety system by achieving full ISO/OES 17025:2005 accreditation. Funds will be applied to three areas of focus: increase lab personnel to ensure quality control and provide documentation for accreditation, provide training of chemist and lab personnel, acquire software to improve productivity and efficiency. Grant funding of ISO Accreditation will allow expenditure of state funds to expand feed safety testing including micro-biological and heavy metal detection, further increasing state and national capacity of feed and food protection.