FSIS-OPHS Food Safety Laboratory Operations

Organizational Structure -- FSIS

Acrobat Document

Organizational Structure -- OPHS

ALASKA

CALIFORNIA

IDAHO

OREGON

WASHINGTON

MONTANA

WYOMING

UTAH COLORADO

ARIZONA

NEW MEXICO

TEXAS

OKLAHOMA

KANSAS

NEBRASKA

SOUTH DAKOTA

NORTH DAKOTAMINNESOTA

WISCONSIN

IOWA

ILLINOIS

OHIO

IN

KENTUCKY

WV

VIRGINIA

NO. CAROLINA

GEORGIA

FL

ALABAMA

MS

MISSOURI

ARKANSAS

LA

NEVADA

HAWAII

MICHIGAN

PENNSYLVANIANJ

NEW YORK

CT

MA

VT

NH

MAINE

TENNESSEE

CAROLINASO.

MD

DE

RI

DC

FSIS Laboratories

Laboratory Activities

Process 150,000 specimensMicrobiology, chemistry, pathologyNational and internationalSupport monitoring and enforcement programsISO 17025 AccreditedLIMS implementation in progress

Partners

Field Inspection Force– Prompt and dependable results

State and Federal Laboratories– Communication and coordination– Methods development– Response

Policy and Regulatory Elements

Core Activities in Food Safety

Current Activities

Routine surveillanceRegulatory complianceOutbreak investigationMethods validationProficiency testingTraining

Routine Surveillance

High throughput of routine surveillance samplesMaintain capabilityCross-train analystsCross-train laboratories

Methods Validation

Rapid screenConfirmatory testing (on site)Confirmatory testing (centralized)Method implementationISO17025 quality control

Russell Research CenterFSIS-ARS

MOSPL

Microbial Outbreaks Special Projects Laboratory – conducts advanced analyses and oversees methods

validation. – provides scientific support for risk assessment,

management, communication and emergency control of hazards associated with regulated food products.

MOSPL

Microbial analysis of outbreak or surveillance food Microbial analysis of outbreak or surveillance food specimensspecimensGenetic analysis of cultures isolated from products by Genetic analysis of cultures isolated from products by the Field Service Laboratoriesthe Field Service LaboratoriesSpecial Projects and Method ValidationsSpecial Projects and Method ValidationsBiosecurityBiosecurity preparations for analysis of food products preparations for analysis of food products contaminated with infectious agents of unknown origincontaminated with infectious agents of unknown origin

FSIS Submissions to PulseNet

Organism 2002 2003

E. coli O157:H7 156 62

L. monocytogenes 110 166

Salmonella spp. 57 49

Core Activities in Food Safety

Scope of the FERN System

Integrate the nation’s food laboratory infrastructureConsolidate results of food analyses conducted at the state and federal levelMake that information available to partners

Components of the FERN System

SurveillanceEmergency response National IntegrationTrainingMethod validationProficiency testingData communication - eLEXNET

Compilation of Analytical Methods

A Web based system that– Serves as repository for many methods from many sources– Facilitates classification of analytical methods according to

set criteria– Enables sharing of appropriately validated analytical

methodologies– Allows selection of methods based on intended use (fit-for-

purpose)

Standards-based architecture components4Core set of data elements4Secure system4 Information sharing45 analytes (E. coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella,

Campylobacter jejuni, E. coli typical)4Multimedia CD-ROM

Communications

The eLEXNET Program

22

Food Testing Laboratories

Federal– FDA (ORA, CFSAN)– USDA (FSIS, APHIS,AMS, ARS, Grain Inspection)– DoD– CDC/LRN*

State agriculture, health, vet diagnosticsLocal

FERN Laboratories

Screening – level AConfirmatory – level BAdvanced attribution – Level C