ISO 17025 Laboratory Accreditation Expansion and Enhancement: Minnesota Department of Agriculture

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) Laboratory Services Division is seeking funding under FDA funding opportunity RFA-FD-12-008, "ISO/IEC 17025:2005 Accreditation for State Food Testing Laboratories (U18)." The MDA Laboratory Services Division is committed to working with the FDA to protect the safety of the food supply and to enhance public health through a nationally integrated food safety system. We support the goal that microbiological and chemical food analyses performed on behalf of State manufactured food regulatory programs be conducted within the scope of an ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accredited laboratory. Through the sharing of high-quality, defensible laboratory results, early identification and regulatory response to adulterants in food will be promoted. In our cooperative agreement proposal, we establish that the MDA laboratory meets all eligibility requirements for this funding opportunity. Further, we demonstrate that the MDA laboratory is well-positioned to achieve the program outcomes outlined in the RFA, in terms of laboratory facilities and equipment, organization, personnel, management practices, food testing capabilities, and laboratory quality management system. We identify five Specific Aims that will move the MDA laboratory toward its goals of expanding the scope of its ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accreditation, improving its quality management system, and supporting FDA and FERN food safety initiatives. Through the cooperative agreement program, the MDA laboratory will: " Expand the scope of ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accreditation to include methods supporting the manufactured food regulatory inspection activities of the MDA Dairy and Food Inspection Division. " Design and implement a Learning Management System that supports the laboratory's quality management system as we improve training development, delivery, and documentation. " Enhance and improve the laboratory's document management system, and to integrate it with the newly developed learning management system. " Fully support FDA and FERN food safety initiatives through active participation in the ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accreditation process; sharing best laboratory practices with federal and state partners; continued participation in all FDA sponsored meetings and calls; and providing analytical information and support. " Expand the range of analytes submitted to eLEXNET via an electronic data exchange with the MDA laboratory information management system (LIMS).