Maintaining and Enhancing The Mscls Scope of Iso/iec 17025 Accreditation

The Food Safety Modernization Act allows the FDA to improve the food safetysystem and better protect the public. The Manufactured Food Regulatory ProgramStandards are a key component for the establishment of an integrated food safetysystem. These standards establish a basis for measuring and improving prevention,intervention, and response actions so federal and state agencies can work togethermore efficiently to reduce foodborne illness. In Mississippi, the MississippiDepartment of Health regulates food products manufactured, held, and distributedwithin the State and the Mississippi State Chemical Laboratory serves as the officialtesting laboratory. Accreditation is necessary for a state and federal integrated foodsafety system. Therefore, we propose to maintain and augment our scope ofISO/IEC 17025:2005 accreditation, strengthen our collaboration with the MSDH,increase the number of samples collected and analyzed for surveillance under themanufactured food regulatory program, and streamline our data upload toeLEXNET.