Enhance the Capacity and Capability to Test Animal and Human Foods in the Area of Chemical Testing through the Development of Special Projects and Food and Feed Monitoring Activities - Overall Project Summary/Abstract The California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System (CAHFS) is California’s state veterinary diagnostic laboratory, responsible for assuring the health of the state’s agricultural animals and safety of foods of animal origin. The CAHFS Toxicology Section occupies a unique position as a highly experienced and well-equipped veterinary toxicology laboratory and is a natural fit as a partner to the FDA in furthering their mission of protecting food and animal feed in the U.S. from unsafe chemical contamination. CAHFS proposes to assist the agency through participation in several key activities as outlined in the FOA. First, the CAHFS Toxicology Section will provide significant surge capacity to the agency in the event of an emergency incident involving intentional or accidental chemical contamination of human food or animal feed. The Section’s past performance in addressing food-related emergencies demonstrates its usefulness in these situations. Additionally, CAHFS will perform surveillance analysis of livestock feeds produced in California. The Toxicology Section will work in partnership with the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), which is the state agency in charge of regulating animal feed. CDFA will provide samples taken as per LFFM/FDA specifications to the laboratory for analysis. Test results involving samples which do not meet regulatory requirements will be reported to both the FDA and to CDFA. CAHFS and CDFA have developed a strong cooperation over the past four years of working together on animal feed testing for LFFM, with CDFA regulators providing samples. By continuing this valuable cooperation and testing these samples, the Section will be able to assist the agency in quickly identifying emerging contamination issues, preventing exposures to contaminated food or feed, ultimately preventing injury to human and animal health. Where new analytical capabilities and capacity are needed, the Toxicology Section will develop new methods, participate in multi-lab method validations, evaluate new analytical platforms, and endeavor to address emerging food and feed safety issues with creativity and tenacity as requested. These activities are critical in helping the agency address new chemicals of concern and in adopting more sensitive and selective detection capabilities. Evaluation of new analytical platforms assists the agency in identifying more efficient methods of analysis, allowing for expanded analytical capacity.
