Discipline D. Special Projects, Analytical Track 1: Sample Collection The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) Laboratory is applying for several human and animal food testing analytical tracks. Funding from the Sample Collection track will be used to defray costs of sample collection supplies and activities for these LFFM tracks. Meeting our proposed sample collection numbers (n = 600) allows Nebraska to contribute to the national goal of using surveillance data to drive risk?based and prevention focused food safety objectives. Our selected sampling organizations are the Commercial Feed Program (CFP) and Food Safety and Consumer Protection (FSCP) regulatory programs in our agency as they have regulatory authority for human and animal food in Nebraska. A sampling agreement is written and updated each year between the laboratory and agency regulatory programs. These agreements outline the sample collection calendar and describe terms for both routine and non?routine samples along with chain of custody practices. Results of laboratory analyses generate test results that provide the basis for regulatory activities undertaken by these NDA regulatory programs. The timely and accurate analysis of submitted samples is important for the success of the LFFM and for our agency?s regulatory efforts.
