NYS AGM Food Laboratory - Laboratory Flexible Funding Model (LFFM) (U19)

NY AGM Food Laboratory - Project Summary/Abstract:
The New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets (NY AGM) has an
expansive and robust food safety inspection program and a regulatory food safety testing
laboratory. The Food Laboratory, a division within the NY AGM, has a mission to provide expert
state of the art analytical testing in support of food safety programs in New York State. The
Food Laboratory, through food testing, provides support to the divisions of Food Safety and
Inspection and Milk Control and Dairy Services. It is the primary servicing laboratory for the New
York manufactured food regulatory program and is accredited to the ISO/IEC 17025:2017
standard and AOAC ALACC criteria. The Food Laboratory has comprehensive testing programs
for microbiological and chemical contamination in food and beverages.
If funded for the Laboratory Flexible Funding Model, the Food Laboratory will maintain
resources and personnel necessary to cover testing of more than 2,000 samples according to
the Food Laboratory Sampling Plans. The laboratory will maintain a quality management system
compliant with the managerial and technical requirements of ISO/IEC 17025 and continue to be
accredited by a recognized accreditation body. It will participate in proficiency testing or
competency exercises on an annual basis to maintain analyst competency. If funded, the
following activities will be part of Food Laboratory deliverables: participation in small-scale
method development, method validation research, and matrix extension research; participation
in related training and mentorship to other State laboratories, if requested; FERN membership
and participation in conference calls, meetings, and support of FERN activities; key personnel
will be sent to all annual LFFM Face-to-Face Meetings; quarterly summaries of all food samples
collected and analyzed under the Sampling Plans, notification of FDA project manager and
technical lead of any presumptive positive samples in a timely manner, full laboratory packages
of any violative sample after laboratory report is released in a timely manner, maintenance of a
confidentiality agreement with FDA, outline plans for capacity/capability development and
special projects, and participation in at least one FDA requested assignment annually related to
human and animal food. The Food Laboratory will support the integrated food safety system by
sharing laboratory results with the FDA when considering enforcement actions for surveillance
and regulatory purposes. The laboratory is also supporting FDA's initiative to expand laboratory
testing capacity when new technologies or procedures are available.