FDA FERN Microbiological Cooperative Agreement Continuation Program RFA-FD-12-018 (Reissue of PAR-09-215)PROJECT SUMMARYThe Pennsylvania Department of Health Bureau of Laboratories (BOL) will maintain acooperative agreement with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the FDA FERNMicrobiological Cooperative Agreement Program (Program Announcement: RFA-FD-12-018,reissue of PAR-09-215). The BOL will conduct analyses of food and food-related samples toprovide expanded laboratory capacity to the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN).FERN will provide samples, instrumentation, test procedures, training and proficiency testing.The BOL will maintain capacity to test a minimum of 100 samples per week and a minimum of500 samples per year. Testing will be performed for the purposes of surveillance, foodemergency outbreak response, and large-scale food emergency event surge capacity.
FDA FERN Microbiological Cooperative Agreement Continuation Program RFA-FD-12-018 (Reissue of PAR-09-215) PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE STATEMENT The Pennsylvania Department of Health Bureau of Laboratories (BOL) will continue a cooperative agreement with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the FDA FERN Microbiological Cooperative Agreement Program (Program Announcement: RFA-FD-12-018, a reissue of PAR-09-215). The BOL will conduct analyses of food and food-related samples to provide expanded laboratory capacity to the Food Emergency Response Network (FERN). Testing will be performed for the purposes of surveillance, food emergency outbreak response, and large-scale food emergency event surge capacity.
