The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), Division of Food Safety, Bureau of Laboratories achieved accreditation in 2007, and maintains A2LA accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 for the specific tests listed in A2LA certificates 2534.01 and 2534.02 (available at www.A2LA.org). The Division of Food Safety is directly responsible for assuring the public of a safe, wholesome and properly represented food supply. This is accomplished through the permitting and inspection of food establishments; inspection and evaluation of food and dairy products; and the performance of biological and chemical laboratory testing on a variety of food and dairy products sold and/or produced in Florida. The division monitors food and dairy products from manufacturing through distribution to retail sale. The Division is charged with administration and enforcement of the food and poultry and egg laws, and also provides support in the enforcement of other food safety laws. In addition to regulatory surveillance and enforcement, the Division evaluates consumer complaints related to food. The Division has the responsibility for carrying out its duties or support functions as directed by the following Florida Statutes Chapters: 500, 502, 583, 586, and 601. As the primary regulatory food testing laboratory for Florida the FDACS Division of Food Safety Laboratories work with our Division's Bureau of Food Inspection to conduct microbiological and chemical food analyses on behalf of the state?s manufactured food regulatory programs (MFRPS). These analyses are conducted within the scope of our ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation. The Division of Food Safety, Bureau of Laboratories is applying for the cooperative agreement titled: Maintenance and Enhancement of ISO/IEC 17025 Accreditation and Whole Genome Sequencing for State Food Testing Laboratories, announcement number RFA-FD-19- 018, with anticipation of funding from 2019 through 2020 for maintaining accreditation and performing enhancements to the accredited laboratory system. The Laboratories have actively participated in the project titled Maintaining and Enhancing Accreditation at the Florida Bureau of Food Laboratories under current grant number 5U18FD006241-01 and previous grant 5U18FD004474 continuously since 2012. The Division of Food Safety, Bureau of Laboratories is willing and able to participate in this opportunity, and is fully committed, to increase the analytical capacity of our nation?s food testing regulatory laboratory under accreditation, increase our ability to share laboratory results to promote earlier identification and regulatory response to adulterants in the food supply, advancement of a nationally integrated food safety system, and thereby enhance efforts to protect the food supply and work toward ensuring the public?s health. FDACS Division of Food Safety Laboratories are active participants in the FERN programs and are currently one of the FDA FERN CAP laboratories under grant number 1U18FD005506.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), Division of Food Safety, Bureau of Laboratories achieved accreditation in 2007, and maintains A2LA accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and the 'AOAC International Guidelines for Laboratories Performing Microbiological and Chemical Analyses of Food, Dietary Supplements, and Pharmaceuticals' for the specific tests listed in A2LA certificates 2534.01 and 2534.02. The Division of Food Safety is directly responsible for assuring the public of a safe, wholesome and properly represented food supply. This is accomplished through the permitting and inspection of food establishments; inspection and evaluation of food and dairy products; and the performance of biological and chemical laboratory testing on a variety of food and dairy products sold and/or produced in Florida. The division monitors food and dairy products from manufacturing through distribution to retail sale. As the primary regulatory food testing laboratory for Florida the FDACS Division of Food Safety Laboratories work with our Division's Bureau of Food Inspection to conduct microbiological and chemical food analyses on behalf of the state?s manufactured food regulatory programs (MFRPS). These analyses are conducted within the scope of our ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation. In addition, the Division of Food Safety Bureau of Laboratories assists other State agencies such as the Florida Department of Health in the investigation of food borne illness through the testing of food products that are suspected in food borne illness outbreaks. The Division of Food Safety Bureau of Laboratories are active participants in PulseNet and Genome Trackr and routinely submit subtyping data of pathogens isolated from food products. The Division of Food Safety Bureau of Laboratories is willing and able to participate in this opportunity, and is fully committed, to increase the analytical capacity of our nation?s food testing regulatory laboratory under accreditation, increase our ability to share laboratory results to promote earlier identification and regulatory response to adulterants in the food supply, advancement of a nationally integrated food safety system, and thereby enhance efforts to protect the food supply and work toward ensuring the public?s health. The FDACS Division of Food Safety participates in the Manufactured Food Regulatory Program with sample collection and inspections performed by the Bureau of Food Inspection and testing performed by the FDACS Division of Food Safety Laboratories. The Laboratories are active participants in multiple Federal Programs including being a FDA FERN CAP lab in both the chemistry and microbiological areas under grant number 1U18FD005506. In addition, the Laboratories are a USDA FERN grant participant. The FDACS Division of Food Safety Laboratories currently analyze food samples for State and Federal sources including FDA and USDA regulated products and environmental swab samples from food manufacturing facilities. The laboratories analyzed over 4500 food sample in the past year which matched the sample types requested under this competition. The sample collection and analysis currently include samples specifically for the Manufactured Food Program, therefore, this project can be accommodated within the existing Inspection's sample collection and Laboratories? testing programs.
