Laboratory Flexible Funding Model (LFFM) 2025

About This Grant

PROJECT SUMMARY (OVERALL): The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) intends use this opportunity to support activities to meet regulatory requirements, and improve its efficacy, accuracy, and defensibility on a continuous basis and to maintain and enhance our current level of services with our federal, state, and local partners. This funding opportunity allows for the risk-based development of metrics, allowing MDARD to better forecast emerging issues and hazards. This allow MDARD to work with our regulatory partners to develop plans and processes to facilitate the increase sample volumes across our human and animal food microbiology and chemistry sections, to increase the types of analysis, and allow for new advanced technologies and methodologies to be explored within such fields as Whole Genome Sequencing, allergens, food adulteration, enteric pathogens, toxic elements, and economic fraud. The lab will maintain its ISO 17025 accreditation providing confidence and defensibility in the lab's results. MDARD will continue to work with the Emergency Rapids Response Team and the MDARD Food and Dairy Division and FDA to build a more robust and effective food defense program. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Chemistry Laboratory intends to continue its basic scope which of testing for human and animal food; mycotoxins, veterinary drugs, nutrient and heavy metals, crude fat content, crude fiber content, and protein (Nitrogen) content, acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, filth, fish speciation, histamine, cannabidiol potency in food products and foreign materials in feed products whilst increasing sample volumes and participating in any food defense outbreaks, investigations, exercises, and trainings. The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Microbiology Laboratory emphasizes food safety for human food through surveillance testing for foodborne pathogens. Testing is performed using validated and verified test methods. The lab routinely tests samples for Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes and pathogenic E. coli (Shiga-toxin producing E. coli, or STEC) Surveillance manufactured food samples and fresh produce samples are tested for the presence of the foodborne pathogens. Samples found to be contaminated with foodborne pathogens will be reported to the Regulatory Division and FDA for possible regulatory action.