Iso/iec 17025:2005 Accreditation For Louisiana State Food Testing Lab

Project Summary/AbstractThe OPH Laboratory is applying for the cooperative agreement titled: ISO/IEC 17025:2005Accreditation for State Food Testing Laboratories (U18), announcement number RFA-FD-15-023, with anticipation of funding 2015 through 2020 for maintaining accreditation and performenhancements, including expanding the scope of accreditation.The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, Office of Public Health (OPH) Laboratory,under the ISO/IEC 17025:2005 Accreditation funding, plans to obtain accreditation in 2017 forspecific tests performed by the laboratory that support the Louisiana Center for EnvironmentalHealth and associated programs including the Retail Food Program and Food and Drug Unit,and to maintain accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025:2005 for these tests.The Louisiana Retail Food Program objective is to prevent and minimize food-borne diseaseoutbreaks through consulting, monitoring, issuance of permits and regulation of foodestablishments. The Food and Drug Unit regulates a variety of activities and processespertaining to food, drugs, and cosmetics in the State of Louisiana.As the primary regulatory food testing laboratory for the State of Louisiana in support of theCenter for Environmental Health, and working for and with the Retail Food Program and Foodand Drug Unit, as well as the OPH Epidemiology Program, microbiological and chemicalanalyses performed on behalf of the state's manufactured food regulatory programs will beconducted within the scope of our accreditation.The OPH Laboratory is willing and able to participate in this opportunity, and is fully committedto increase the analytical capacity for FDA in conformance with the Manufactured FoodRegulatory Program Standard (MFRPS), increase our ability to share laboratory results forenforcement and surveillance, and participate in advancement of a nationally integrated foodsafety system to protect the nation's food supply.