Concerning: Costs for Analytical Samples

Whereas, AFDO strongly supports a nationally integrated food safety system that utilizes the available resources of state and local government levels, and

Whereas, state and local governments have illustrated their support for a nationally integrated food safety system, in part, by having their food testing laboratories meet accreditation standards, and

Whereas, to be successful, a nationally integrated food safety system must include a willingness of all government partners to share analytical data from a robust surveillance system that includes environmental and finished product testing, and

Whereas, the cost of collecting and analyzing environmental and finished products can inhibit state and local agencies from doing this sampling, and

Whereas, state food safety programs will be relied upon by FDA to assist them in meeting the mandates of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), therefore be it

Resolved, that AFDO request FDA to consider possible funding mechanisms to state and local government food laboratories that perform environmental or finished product testing relating to the surveillance of food, and be it further

Resolved, that AFDO request FDA to work with them in developing work plans to assure state and local food laboratories are properly utilized to assure adequate coverage of food commodities