Enhancement of california's human and animal food testing capacity and capability and food emergency response - enhancement of california's human and animal food testing capacity, capability, and food…

The Food and Drug Administration awarded the California Department of Public Health $2,254,819 in a cooperative agreement on September 20, 2025, under the Food and Drug Administration Research program (CFDA 93.103) to enhance California's human and animal food testing capacity, capability, and food emergency response.

The Food and Drug Laboratory Branch will perform microbiology and chemistry testing work, operating as an FDA Food Emergency Response Network laboratory since 2008 and holding ISO 17025 certification for both disciplines under multiple FDA methods. The Radiochemistry Unit of the Drinking Water and Radiation Laboratory Branch will conduct radiological analyses of water, soil, air, biota, wipes, and other environmental matrices—the only state government laboratory performing such radiological testing in California. Both units maintain active participation in FDA proficiency testing and emergency response exercises.

The award funds testing activities performed in Richmond, California, with a period of performance extending through June 30, 2030. The cooperative agreement supports California's primary food and drug testing laboratory in its role as the state food and drug regulatory agency's testing arm under California's Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards.

Enhancement of california's human and animal food testing capacity and capability and food emergency response - enhancement of california's human and animal food testing capacity, capability, and food emergency response the center of laboratory sciences of california department of public health (cdph), center for laboratory sciences, division of environmental health laboratories is submitting the following proposal for nofo RFA-FD-25-007 lffm under disciplines of microbiology (a), chemistry (b), and radiochemistry (c). Projects under a and b will be performed by the food and drug laboratory branch (fdlb), and project C1 will be performed by radiochemistry unit (RCU) of drinking water and radiation laboratory branch (dwrlb). Fdlb has been an FDA fern laboratory since 2008 and is the recipient of the current lffm grant under both a and b. Fdlb has the capability and capacity to fulfill the goals of the referenced cooperative agreement program in terms of the experience and expertise of its trained staff, available facilities, established validated equipment, and its on-going participation in fern training, surveillance, proficiency testing, and other cooperative agreement programs activities. Fdlb is ISO 17025 certified for microbiology and chemistry, each with multiple methods under scope including FDA methods. Fdlb is the primary testing laboratory for state food and drug regulatory agency which is enrolled in california's manufactured food regulatory program standards. The RCU/dwrlb is the only state government laboratory conducting radiological analyses of water, soil, air, biota, wipes and other environmental matrices. RCU/dwrlb is an active member of fern and annually participates in its proficiency testing exercises, as well as in ERA and department of energy mixed analyte performance evaluation program (mapep) for water, vegetation, air filter, and soil matrices. RCU/dwrlb is equipped with necessary resources: facilities, equipment, trained personnel, and quality assurance system (as evidenced by the successful PTS from multiple agencies uploaded with this application) to conduct work for the radiochemistry food defense track. 1. Four projects in chemistry (PI: DR. Dadong XU