Texas Food Defense and Animal Food Product Testing for Microbiological, Chemical and Radiological Hazards, Genome Sequencing, and Special Project Tracks

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Abstract Texas Food Defense and Animal Food Product Testing for Microbiological, Chemical and Radiological Hazards, Genome Sequencing, and Special Project Tracks The Office of the Texas State Chemist (OTSC) is comprised of the state agency authorized to regulate animal food (Texas Feed and Fertilizer Control Service (FFCS) and an ISO 17025:2017 accredited laboratory (Agricultural Analytical Service (AAS)), which analyzes regulatory samples for FFCS, the Food and Drug Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture. OTSC provides regulatory oversight for 5000 firms that manufacture feed with locations in Texas, the United States (US) and abroad and distribution of 23 million tons of feed in Texas. OTSC serves a large animal population including approximately 900,000 dairy cows, 5 million cattle on feed, 12.6 million cows and calves, 21 million layers, and 115 million broilers along with 12 million dogs and cats, 500,000 equids, and 1.5 million sheep and goats. AAS laboratory personnel include 12 analysts, four laboratory attendants, three PhD research scientists/lead chemists, one laboratory quality manager and one laboratory associate director. The laboratory is organized into four teams that specialize in microbiology, chromatography/mass spectrometry, elemental analysis, and radiochemistry. FFCS regulatory personnel include 14 field investigators, a manager of accounting, operations manager for registration and labeling, an associate director of compliance and an associate director of field operations. In this project. OTSC will strengthen food defense capability in the areas of microbiology, chemistry, and radiochemistry; expand surveillance of microbiological and chemical hazards, expand involvement in whole genome sequencing, develop and validate new methods and participate in all laboratory flexible funding model program activities and meet reporting requirements. As an outcome of this project, OTSC will expanded capacity and capabilities of the Texas animal food testing laboratory in support of an integrated food safety system in the disciplines of microbiology, chemistry and radiochemistry in food defense, animal food microbiological and chemical product testing, whole genome sequencing, capability/capacity development, and special project tracks