The safety and quality of the food we feed our pets and livestock is paramount to the West Virginia Department of Agriculture. Animal food that is chemically contaminated can sicken or kill pets and livestock. These contaminants can also make their way into the human food supply chain and cause harm to human health. The quality of animal food and its ingredients is also important. It allows consumers to make informed decisions about what they feed their animals and helps to ensure that pets and livestock are receiving their nutritional needs. Animal food product testing is an integral part of an integrated food safety system. The West Virginia Department of Agriculture Regulatory and Environmental Affairs Division is composed of six laboratory sections: agricultural materials, dairy, food chemistry, microbiology, pesticides, and seed. The work proposed in this project will be performed in our agricultural materials and pesticides laboratory sections. In each year of the project the WVDA will analyze a minimum of 500 animal food samples. The types of analyses will change from year to year but will include toxic metals, nutritional metals, mycotoxins, iodine, drug residues, glyphosate, and multiple proximate analyses. Key personnel that are involved in the project include Joshua Arbaugh, Chemist III/Seed Analyst/Microscopist and Technical Lead; Margolite Cesar, Research Chemist; Thomas Trupo, Chemist II; and Chris Roy, Laboratory Assistant. The WVDA has made a commitment in recent years to increase laboratory staff and interviews are scheduled for additional chemists. The WVDA chemistry laboratory will have five methods under its? scope of accreditation in 2020. All other methods not currently under the scope of accreditation follow the same ISO/IEC 17025 quality system, proficiency testing, and competency requirements. Funding received through the LFFM will support the fees associated with maintaining accreditation such as equipment calibrations, preventative maintenance, assessments, personnel, and travel for training. Consumable costs will also be supported in order to conduct animal food analyses.
