Surveillance of animal food products for microbial and chemical contaminants by ldaf agricultural chemistry laboratory to support FDA's national integrated food safety system. - overall abstract the…

The Food and Drug Administration awarded the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry a $1.125 million cooperative agreement on September 25, 2025, to conduct surveillance of animal food products for microbial and chemical contaminants supporting the FDA's National Integrated Food Safety System under CFDA 93.103 (Food and Drug Administration Research).

The LDAF Agricultural Chemistry Laboratory will test 100 samples annually for microbiological analysis and 250 samples for chemical analysis, collected statewide under the directive of LDAF's Feed Program in compliance with Animal Feed Regulatory Program Standards. The laboratory, accredited to ISO 17025:2017, will analyze for Salmonella species, aflatoxin, fumonisin, deoxynivalenol, minerals, and metals in animal feeds and pet foods. Samples will be collected and processed in proximity to the feed regulatory program to enable immediate regulatory action. Results will feed into the FDA's risk-based, prevention-focused food safety tracking and trending system to identify emerging food safety issues and support multi-state response coordination.

Work is performed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with a period of performance through June 30, 2030. The cooperative agreement funds the laboratory to expand sample throughput capacity and analytical capability to respond to safety hazards requiring national coordination and support.

Surveillance of animal food products for microbial and chemical contaminants by ldaf agricultural chemistry laboratory to support FDA's national integrated food safety system. - overall abstract the louisiana department of agriculture and forestry (ldaf) agricultural chemistry laboratory is proposing to test microbiological and chemical constituents in animal food for the integrated food safety system established by the FDA. All samples, 100 for microbial analysis and 250 for chemical analysis, will be collected statewide under the directive of ldaf feed program which is animal feed regulatory program standards (afrps) compliant. Proximity to the feed program will allow immediate regulatory action ensuring the health of both humans and animals. Additionally, the agricultural chemistry laboratory is accredited to ISO 17025:2017, with validated methods on scope for analyzing salmonella SPP., aflatoxin, fumonisin, DON, minerals and metals in animal feeds and pet foods. IT houses all pertinent analytical equipment as well as experienced and competent personnel needed to maintain quality data for this nationally integrated laboratory food safety system. The organizational position held by the ldaf agricultural chemistry laboratory places IT in a strategic position to produce sample outputs that will add to a risk-based and prevention focused food safety system that both the food and drug administration (FDA) as well as the state can use to track and trend, and identify emerging issues about potential food safety as well as evaluate future sampling initiatives and areas of focus. The funding from this new cooperative agreement can help equip the agricultural chemistry laboratory with additional resources to build and increase sample throughput capacity and capability for our state to respond to any safety hazards requiring multi-state response and national coordination/ support.