Texas Laboratory Flexible Funding Model: Enhancing the Capacity and Capability of Human Food and Environmental Testing - Enhancing the Capacity and Capability of Human Food and Environmental Testing at the Texas Department of State Health Services Project Summary The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Public Health Laboratory Division (PHLD) works in conjunction with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the state regulatory body, DSHS Consumer Protection Division (CPD), to ensure food and food products in Texas are safe. As a part of an integrated food safety system, the goals of the PHLD are to facilitate and improve food testing surveillance, inspection, and investigation in the State of Texas. With the funding provided by this grant, CPD will continue partnership with PHLD by acting as the PHLD sampling organization. As part of the official sampling plan, PHLD will test approximately 500 samples annually under the Microbiology Human Food Product Testing track and 400 samples annually for the Microbiology Whole Genome Sequencing Track. The PHLD has the capability to test human food and environmental samples for the presence of Salmonella, Shiga-Toxin producing Escherichia coli (STEC), and Listeria; and consistently tested a high volume of samples for these pathogens during the previous grant cycle (2020 to 2025). The Genetic Sequencing Branch (GSB) serves as the core facility for Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) for the PHLD, and works closely with the PHLD’s Consumer Microbiology Group (CMG) and Clinical Bacteriology Group (CBG) to obtain enteric pathogens from routine and surveillance food and environmental sample testing. The PHLD also receives food and environmental samples from the University of Houston at Clear Lake and Texas A&M University. The Public Health Laboratory Division (PHLD) is also the primary servicing laboratory for the state Manufactured Foods Regulatory Program (MFRP) for radiochemistry testing. The Radiochemistry Group within the Environmental Chemistry Unit at the PHLD has been receiving human food samples collected by MFRP since 2016 as part of the FDA Rad CAP Safety and Defense Routine Monitoring project. A total of fifty (50) samples are collected by the MFRP annually and submitted to the PHLD for gamma emitting radioisotopes. The PHLD has previously participated in the Radiochemistry Food Defense track, and in this grant cycle seeks to add the Chemistry Food Defense track, as well as the associated Chemistry MDV and C/C tracks. The Inorganic Chemistry Group, also within the Environmental Chemistry unit, has participated in FERN proficiency testing exercises and has trained staff and instruments necessary to carry out both LC-MS and GC-MS testing.
