In response to the FDA's Laboratory Flexible Funding Model program announcement, the Mississippi State Chemical Laboratory (MSCL) has submitted a robust proposal titled ?Enhancement of Mississippi's Capabilities in Integrated Food Safety Partnerships.? This plan encompasses six projects: ? Discipline B: Chemistry, Analytical Track 1. Food Defense (Years 1-5) ? Discipline B: Chemistry, Analytical Track 2. Human Food Product Testing (Years 1-5) ? Discipline B: Chemistry, Analytical Track 3. Animal Food Product Testing (Years 1-5) ? Discipline D: Special Projects 1. Sample Collection (Years 1-5) ? Discipline D: Special Projects 2. NFSDX and ORAPP Integration (Year 1 only) ? Discipline D: Special Projects 3. Method Development/Validation (Year 2 only) The Animal Food Product Testing Project will be conducted in Years 1 through 5 of the cooperative agreement. The goal of this project is to enhance Mississippi's animal food testing program in partnership with the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce's Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI). We will screen rendered products, dairy cattle feed, horse feed, chicken feed, dog and cat food, and pig feed for mercury and heavy metals, pesticides, and aflatoxins. Samples will be provided by BPI, and in Years 1 and 2, we will test a total of 250 samples; while in Years 3 through 5, the sampling load will increase to 500 samples annually. By the end of the project, the plan would be to permanently implement these tests into our normal regulatory testing that we provide to the State.
