Texas State Chemist Animal Feed Regulatory Program Standards Implementation and Iso17025 Accreditation Roadmap

Project Summary/Abstract:This proposal contains a roadmap for the Office of the Texas State Chemist (OTSC) toachieve full implementation of the Animal Feed Regulatory Program Standards (AFRPS)in 5 years, expand the scope of ISO 17025 accreditation of the OTSC AAS laboratories,introduce an ISO 17025 quality system and accredit the Texas A&M AgriLife ResearchBSL3 laboratory used by OTSC to measure microbiological contamination of feed, andimplement an ISO 17025 quality system in OTSC satellite laboratories that measureaflatoxin contamination in feed. The roadmap contains tasks patterned after theShewhart Cycle (Plan-Do-Check-Act) to continuously improve the regulatory andlaboratory functions of the Texas feed program. Key elements of the roadmap includedevelopment of an operations manual that incorporates AFRPS, formalizingmethodology used to build a statistically derived risk-based plan-of-work, creating aregulatory information management system (RIMS) that facilitates FFCS management'sability to measure and improve AFRPS implementation, and conversion of the"Regulatory Science in Food Systems" online graduate program offered by Texas A&MUniversity into basic and advanced investigator training. As an outcome of this project,the OTSC will better direct regulatory activities that reduce foodborne illness attributed tofeed safety hazards and align more closely with the FDA regulatory program.