Maintenance and Enhancement of ISO/IEC 17025 Accreditation and Whole Genome Sequencing for State Food Testing Laboratories

Wa State Department Of Agriculture, Olympia WA

Investigators

Abstract

Maintenance and Enhancement of ISO/IEC 17025 Accreditation for State Food Testing Laboratories (U18) Project Summary The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) Food Safety and Consumer Services (FS-CS) Laboratory seeks funding from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under FRA-FD-17-010. Funding level requested is $350,000 over two years. The title of our proposal is: Maintenance and Enhancement of ISO/IEC 17025 Accreditation of the WSDA FS-CS Laboratory?s Quality Management System After several years of intense work by the WSDA Food Safety and Consumer Services (FS-CS) Laboratory to prepare for and implement a Quality Management System, the WSDA Microbiology Laboratory became ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accredited on December 22, 2011, and has successfully maintained the accreditation since then. The WSDA FS-CS Laboratory goals for this two-year project are: ? maintain and improve the ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accreditation ? strengthen the successful collaboration between FS-CS Laboratory and Food Safety program at WSDA; increase the number of state samples collected and analyzed for surveillance purposes. ? provide mentoring and technical support to other states food labs to obtain/maintain their accreditation The WSDA FS-CS Laboratory meets all eligibility requirements for this funding opportunity: ? WSDA FS-CS Laboratory is the primary regulatory food testing laboratory in Washington State and has adequate resources to achieve the project objectives ? WSDA FS-CS Laboratory is one of the awardees of the current ISO/IEC 17025:2005 Accreditation for Food Testing Laboratories cooperative agreement funded by the FDA Office of Partnerships ? WSDA FS-CS Laboratory has obtained ISO 17025:2005 accreditation from 2011 and seeks to maintain and improve the accreditation ? WSDA FS-CS Laboratory is a member of the Food Emergency Response Network and experienced in analyzing FDA regulated products the number of methods under scope of accreditation to aide in the analysis of those products ? WSDA FS-CS Laboratory sends food testing information and results electronically to eLEXNET In addition, the WSDA Food Safety and Consumer Services Laboratory is: ? Currently under contract with FDA to conduct food safety inspections ? Enrolled in the MFRPS WSDA FS-CS Laboratory is eager to partner with FDA, Washington State Food Safety Program, and other food testing laboratories across the nation, to protect the public?s health from food borne illnesses. 1 | Page FRA-FD-17-010: ISO/IEC 17025:2005 Accreditation for State Food Testing Laboratories