Maintenance and Enhancement of Iso/iec 17025 Accreditation and Whole Genome Sequencing For State Food Testing Laboratories

The Geagley Laboratory of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development(MDARD) commits to meeting the goals, obligations and deliverables for competitions Aand B described in the agreement.The Food and Dairy Division of MDARD has been enrolled in the Manufactured FoodRegulatory Program Standards (MFRPS) since 2009. The MDARD Laboratory Divisionhas provided analytical testing and technical assistance to the Food and Dairy Division inaccordance with MFRPS standard 10.MFRPS related microbiological testing will remain accredited within the scope of ourISO/IEC 17025:2005 accreditation. Staffing and equipment/supplies charged throughthis agreement will be utilized to maintain accreditation to the ISO17025:2005 standardand enhance the scope of food safety related testing. Whole genome sequencing(WGS) will be performed on the requisite number of isolates specified in the FDAResearch Collaboration Agreement (RCA) to enhance the national genomic database ofpathogen isolates and the provisions of this cooperative agreement. Data will beprovided in support of FDA enforcement actions, surveillance activities, trace back anddata collection purposes through the eLEXNET portal and the NCBI database.The laboratory?s Food, Fuel and Disease Chemistry Unit, with assistance from thelaboratory?s quality assurance staff, will maintain ISO17025 accreditation and addchemical food analyses to our scope. This will include maintenance of the qualitysystem, staff training in ISO/IEC requirements, training for entering data into eLEXNET,performance of appropriate proficiency samples and any additional deliverables asdictated through the cooperative agreement.Both testing sections will propose a two-year plan and detailed budget to supportaccreditation activities, analytical work, data collection, training and travel in conformancewith the goals and deliverables of this funding opportunity.The MDARD, Geagley Laboratory is committed to the enhancement of the national foodsafety system. We look forward to continuing our long standing collaboration with FDA toimprove food safety. We will continue to meet the analytical needs of our internal andexternal customers in conformance with MFRPS, FERN agreements and the WGS RCA.Therefore, any capabilities or knowledge acquired through this cooperative agreement willbe incorporated into the ongoing workload and strategic planning. We are committed tosustaining and enhancing the capabilities and capacity of our laboratory for routine andemergency response activities.