Program Description In the effort to establish national laboratory standards and implement a national fully integrated food safety system, laboratory accreditation has been identified as a critical element for ensuring the integrity and accuracy of the laboratory testing. Accreditation also supports the traceability and accountability of results generated by a laboratory that are submitted to a regulatory agency, including FDA, for enforcement actions. Investment in laboratory accreditation for the nation’s food and feed testing laboratories provides added value for the mission of protecting the public health by providing greater laboratory capacity of quality data submitted to regulatory agencies.
This program will provide training on topics of interest to laboratories performing food and feed testing who are have achieved or are working to achieve ISO/IEC 17025:2005 accreditation. The program consists of presentations, discussions, and exercises. The elements of the sessions describe the best practices of a high quality laboratory and encourage continuous improvement and innovation. Participation in this training program will assist food and feed laboratories in achieving and promoting the continuous advancement of quality practices.
NOTE: Attendance by those laboratories testing feed under the AFRPS is optional; however, you are most welcome to attend.
***Under the ISO/IEC 17025 cooperative agreements for food testing, attendance by a minimum of two key personnel is required. Please refer to your individual notice of award for additional details.***
Program Objectives The objectives for each session are listed with the session information. Please refer to the detailed agenda.
Target Audience This intermediate-level program is intended for: Laboratory professionals performing testing in state and local food and feed laboratories Quality managers Laboratory directors Prerequisites Prior to attending this program, participants will be notified on the prerequisites for specific sessions.
Course Completion Requirements
To successfully complete this program and receive a course certificate of completion, the participant will be required to:
Complete course prerequisites
Be on time and attend the entire session
Participate in session discussions, exercises, workshops, and presentations