New York Department of Agriculture and Markets - Division of Food Laboratory collaborative work through the Laboratory Flexible Funding Model to support an integrated food safety system (IFSS) - NY AGM Food Laboratory – Overall Project Summary/Abstract: The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (NY AGM) has an expansive and robust food safety inspection program and a regulatory food safety testing laboratory. The Food Laboratory, a division within the NY AGM, has a mission to provide expert state of the art analytical testing in support of food safety programs in New York State. The Food Laboratory, through food testing, provides support to the divisions of Food Safety and Inspection and Milk Control and Dairy Services. It is the primary servicing laboratory for the New York manufactured food regulatory program and is accredited to the ISO/IEC 17025 standard and AOAC ALACC criteria. The Food Laboratory has comprehensive testing programs for microbiological and chemical contamination in food and beverages. If funded for the Laboratory Flexible Funding Model, the Food Laboratory will maintain the resources and personnel necessary to cover the testing of more than 1,000 samples according to the Food Laboratory Sampling Plans. The laboratory will maintain a quality management system compliant with the managerial and technical requirements of ISO/IEC 17025 and continue to be accredited by a recognized accreditation body. It will participate in proficiency testing or competency exercises on an annual basis to maintain analyst competency. If funded, the following activities will be part of Food Laboratory deliverables: participation in small-scale method development, method validation research, and matrix extension research; participation in related training and mentorship to other State laboratories, if requested; FERN membership and participation in conference calls, meetings, and support of FERN activities; key personnel will be sent to all annual LFFM Face-to-Face Meetings; quarterly summaries of all food samples collected and analyzed under the Sampling Plans, notification of FDA project manager and technical lead of any presumptive positive samples promptly, full laboratory packages of any violative sample after laboratory report is released on time, maintenance of a 20.88 confidentiality agreement with FDA, outline plans for capacity/capability development, and participation in at least one FDA requested assignment annually related to human and animal food. The Food Laboratory will support the integrated food safety system by sharing laboratory results with the FDA when considering enforcement actions for surveillance and regulatory purposes. The laboratory is also supporting FDA’s initiative to expand laboratory testing capacity when new technologies or procedures are available.
