Hawaii's fern microbiology laboratory's role in keeping human food products safe - part II - hawaii state department of health state laboratories division laboratory preparedness and response branch…

The Food and Drug Administration awarded the Hawaii Department of Health $1,459,346 under Cooperative Agreement U19FD008598 on September 20, 2025, through the Food and Drug Administration Research program (CFDA 93.103) to strengthen the capacity and capabilities of Hawaii's Fern Microbiology Laboratory in food safety and prevent foodborne illnesses.

The award funds four microbiology projects: human food product testing and participation in the national food testing surveillance program to identify contaminated products and trace illness sources; whole genome sequencing of isolates from commodity risk observations and environmental samples to support facility investigations and tracebacks; food defense preparedness and response to intentional microbiological contamination, with Hawaii's laboratory serving as a national surge capacity; and method development and validation. The work is performed at the Hawaii Department of Health State Laboratories Division Laboratory Preparedness and Response Branch Biological Response Section in Pearl City, Hawaii, with performance extending through June 30, 2030. This award builds on a prior Laboratory Flexible Funding Model grant cycle that ran from 2020 to 2025.

Hawaii's fern microbiology laboratory's role in keeping human food products safe - part II - hawaii state department of health state laboratories division laboratory preparedness and response branch biological response section laboratory flexible funding model (lffm) project title: hawaii' fern microbiology laboratory's role in keeping human food products safe - part II the overarching objective of the proposed projects is to maintain, enhance and strengthen the capacity and capabilities of hawaii's fern microbiology laboratory in keeping human food products safe, thereby contributing to strengthening and improving FDA's efforts in preventing foodborne illnesses. To accomplish this objective, we are requesting funding for the following: project A1: microbiology human food product testing hawaii 's fern laboratory aims to build upon the progress made during the first iteration of the lffm grant (2020- 2025.). Hawaii would like to contribute to the national food testing surveillance program with the aim of removing potentially contaminated food products out of reach by consumers and aid in inspections and investigations. Furthermore, our participation in this project would provide US the necessary tools to potentially identify emerging issues and/or assist in unraveling the source of the foodborne illness. Project A4: microbiology whole genome sequencing - maintenance funding for this project will allow US to sequence isolates recovered from CRO's and isolates from environmental samples as part of for-cause facility investigations and tracebacks. Project A6: microbiology food defense by participating in the food defense project, the HI fern microbiology laboratory aims to prepare and respond to possible intentional microbiological contamination of food products not only in hawaii but to serve as a surge laboratory on a national scale. Project A7: microbiology method development and method validation funding for this project will provide an opportunity for the hawaii fern microbiology laboratory to participate in short term investigations on new methodologies/technologies. Project A8: microbiology capacity/capability development funding for this project will assist our laboratory in implementing new capabilities. By implementing new capabilities, testing can be done in-state without the need to send samples to the nearest FDA office which is five hours away by air.