1 WASHINGTON STATE FOOD SAFETY SURVEILLANCE PROJECT 2 Abstract 3 The Washington State Department of Health Public Health Laboratories (WAPHL) is proposing 4 multiple projects through this cooperative agreement that will benefit from the strong 5 collaboration between the Microbiology and the Environmental Laboratory Sciences 6 Departments. Projects proposed in this application span all disciplines for which funding is 7 available. The proposed projects will either maintain or expand WAPHL capabilities in the areas 8 of Food Microbiology, Chemical Food Defense, Advanced Molecular Detection, Shellfish 9 Biotoxins, Shellfish Biomonitoring and Food Radiochemistry. 10 The projects being proposed by all of the laboratories within the WAPHL will be accomplished 11 through the inner workings of having a well-established organizational structure, management 12 style, quality assurance program, subject matter experts, a solid laboratory infrastructure, 13 established sample collection relationships, and long lived collaborations. 14 WAPHL have been managing grants successfully for over 20 years. Among these, multiple 15 United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Center for Disease Control and 16 Statistics (CDC) grants have continuously been funded. Currently the WAPHL proposal includes 17 projects that will be managed by the microbiology and the environmental laboratory sciences 18 departments. The laboratory has sufficient, equipment, and personnel to support all of the 19 projects proposed in this application. The laboratory also boasts ISO accreditation for some of 20 its radiation chemistry activities, has plans for expanding ISO accreditation and has a quality 21 management plan for sections not covered under ISO accreditation. The environmental 22 sciences and microbiology sections also have strong collaborations with several environmental 23 programs within Washington State Department of Health. 24 The collaboration within the WAPHL is a holistic approach by our Environmental Laboratory 25 Science and Microbiology departments here at WAPHL to work together in helping to create a 26 safer food supply for not only Washington State residents but also for visitors and other 27 consumers of Washington?s extensive food supply.
