Maintenance and Enhancement of ISO/IEC 17025 Accreditation for State Food Testing Laboratories - 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.
