NJ Department of Agriculture, Animal Food Product Testing and Capability/Capacity Development for Integrated Food Safety

Project Summary (Overall)
The New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA) laboratory would like to participate in the
Laboratory Flexible Funding Model (LFFM) projects to improve animal food surveillance through
obtaining laboratory equipment, supplies, personnel, and training in standardized testing
methodologies as well as quality assurance. Participation in the LFFM will enhance the animal
food analytical capabilities of the NJDA laboratory and help maintain the ISO 17025:2017
accreditation. The LFFM co-operative agreement program will help the NJDA laboratory
develop and maintain analytical methods needed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
and the New Jersey State animal food regulatory agency (Division of Marketing and
Development), undertake proficiency testing provided by external agencies, and implement
animal food sampling plans. The laboratory will be able to provide defensible laboratory data for
regulatory action. The NJDA laboratory will be able to enhance animal food testing capacity and
capability by implementing whole genome sequencing of the food borne and related veterinary
clinical bacterial isolates. The laboratory will share testing and sequencing data with the FDA.
The laboratory will develop surge capacity needed to provide analytical services in the event of
a large-scale microbiological or chemical event through contaminated animal food. The
laboratory will also participate in mentoring program in collaboration with FDA and other
participating laboratories. Overall, the LFFM co-operative agreement program will enable
development of integrated laboratory science and food safety in the State of New Jersey and
the United States in support of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).