Not currently scheduled.
In collaboration with presenters and subject matter experts from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and other nationally recognized experts, this training course introduces theoretical considerations for the reliable collection of test samples and the practical applications for testing water, soil amendments, fresh produce, and grains for several highly pathogenic microbial contaminants. Originally aired November 19, 2020.
The reliability and significance of results in testing for the presence or absence of food- and water-borne microbial contaminants is dependent not only on the performance and sensitivity of the test method itself, but also on the sampling practices employed. Sampling practices influence the validity and usefulness of all results that stem from any subsequent testing.
Sampling considerations can be divided into three distinct areas that encompass (i) field-derived samples, (ii) samples derived from manufacturing and processing sites, and (iii) those within the testing laboratory itself. In all three of these scenarios, the goal is to efficiently and confidently capture a sample that best represents the whole.
Information gained from participation in this training session will provide industry and associated food-safety testing stakeholder communities with important information on how to design effective sampling plans; and how to employ the most relevant methodologies aligned with regulatory practices for obtaining reliable data needed to assess the safety of their products. It is also intended to assist accredited laboratories as they develop sampling plans in compliance with ISO 17025.
