AFDO has released a new survey to Laboratory and Regulatory Program Directors
The
willingness and/or ability of one agency to accept laboratory test
results from another agency for use in regulatory action does not
widely occur. The reasons for this are generally based on agency
policies. AFDO has prepared a survey that intends to determine what is
needed for state and federal agencies engaged in food safety regulatory
oversight to consider reciprocity of laboratory test results from
another agency. The belief is that a positive impact on food safety
actions and programs could be realized by expanding the use of
laboratory results beyond the agency where a laboratory is housed.
Please
have the appropriate person in your agency laboratory and food safety
regulatory programs complete the attached AFDO Food Laboratory Standard
Methods - Accreditation Survey, which is also available on the AFDO
website. The information gathered from this survey will be used to
determine next steps for wider acceptance of laboratory test results by
food safety regulatory agencies beyond the confines of just the agency
housing a laboratory. It is hoped that broader acceptance of laboratory
results among regulatory agencies will enhance food safety.
Please
submit your completed survey to survey@afdo.org by the close of
business Monday, May 11, 2009. Instructions on how to submit are
located on page 2 of the survey.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Dan Rice, Chair, AFDO Laboratory, Science, and Technology Committee
daniel.rice@agmkt.state.ny.us
(Posted 4/13/09)