November 18, 2019

US FDA proposes new testing programme to verify safety of livestock feed

Once the programme is passed, all livestock feed (and human food) must be tested by accredited laboratories subject to oversight by US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-recognised accreditation bodies.

Currently, only certain foods are tested to verify its safety. These tests include environmental testing and conducted primarily by private laboratories under various standards and oversights.

Under the new proposed US FDA programme, only FDA Accreditation Body (AB) laboratories can conduct food testing with results sent to the FDA directly.

Some of the laboratory accredited tests under the new proposal include:

    •  tests to support the removal of food from an import alert (after successful consecutive tests)

Once the new proposed rule has been approved, the FDA will recognise ABs, which will accredit laboratories to conduct tests for food following the above circumstances.

Tests will incorporate ISO/IEC 17011:2017 and ISO/IEC 17025:2017, globally recognised standards as foundational requirements for ABs and laboratories respectively. Both ABs and laboratories will also be subjected to additional requirements.

The programme aims to improve the accuracy and dependability of food tests through the same, constant standards, in addition to an improved oversight of participating laboratories.

-  US Food and Drug Administration