The Rhode Island State Health Laboratory (SHL) is the primary food testing laboratory for the State Manufactured Food Regulatory Program and a participating laboratory member of the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN). The SHL is also the recipient of an FDA Microbiology Cooperative Agreement Program (MCAP) Award. The SHL seeks to enhance and standardize its food testing program achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 17025-005 laboratory accreditation by a recognized accreditation body. With the support of this award the SHL will prepare the food testing laboratory staff, equipment, and quality assurance systems for accreditation. Both microbiological and chemistry sections within the laboratory and will be accredited. The SHL agrees to share all testing results to FDA through eLEXNET. ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accreditation of the SHL food testing laboratories will in effect serve to assist state manufactured food regulatory programs in achieving conformance with Standard Ten of the Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards (MFRPS) and increase the laboratories'capacity to provide standardized food testing for the FDA.
The purpose of this project is to achieve and maintain ISO/IEC 17025:2005 laboratory accreditation of the Rhode Island State Health Laboratories (SHL), the primary food testing laboratory for the manufactured food regulatory program in the state of Rhode Island. Becoming ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accredited will build the SHL food testing capability and capacity to provide standardized food testing for the FDA MFRPS and assure safety of the public food supply. In addition throughout the accreditation process, the SHL will work to incorporate the ISO/IEC 17025:2005 standards into existing projects such as the FDA Microbiology Cooperative Agreement Program (MCAP) and membership in the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN).
