For Safer Food Imports, We'll Teach Foreign Lab Workers U.S. Requirements

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Sept. 7, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Amid ongoing concerns about E. coli, Salmonella and other food-borne illnesses, a new facility will take a unique approach to safer imports bound for the United States: Give foreign technicians who test those foods intensive, hands-on lab training in U.S. government methods, standards and technology, as well as acceptable alternatives.

"The more we can get foreign food facilities to harmonize their procedures and their work with U.S. requirements, the greater the likelihood of safe imported foods reaching American consumers," says the University of Maryland's Janie Dubois, who directs the new International Food Safety Training Laboratory (IFSTL). "The FDA can only inspect a tiny fraction of all imports, so food should enter the country safe, well-tested and up to our standards."

Based at the University of Maryland's Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (JIFSAN), the new lab will marry federal and university expertise with the support of the Waters Corporation – a leading manufacturer of high-tech laboratory testing equipment. In keeping with the new U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act's emphasis on prevention, the initiative aims to improve the safety of food imports before they reach the U.S. border.
 

Foreign food laboratory workers will learn U.S-recommended microbiological and chemical analysis methods directly from regulators at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Department of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and other federal agencies. Also, the training will give students a chance to discuss acceptable, alternate analytical methods that regulators call "fit-for-purpose."

"This approach will give students unparalleled insight into the way federal regulators operate, and, critically, how best to apply their techniques to conditions back home," Dubois says.

Nearly two-thirds of fresh fruits and produce sold in the U.S. are imports, as is a significant proportion of seafood. The demand for testing expertise – especially the hands-on variety – far outstrips current technical capacity in many countries.

IFSTL will be the first U.S.-based facility of its kind. JIFSAN – a University of Maryland collaboration with the FDA – will operate the facility and direct instruction. The Waters Corporation is helping build and equip the facility and assisting in design of the program. The company is a major manufacturer of laboratory equipment used to detect and measure the presence of chemical contaminants in food.

The new lab's first complete class is scheduled to begin on September 12, 2011. Chinese students will get training on methods for testing pesticide contamination in fresh fruits and produce. The official facility dedication is set for Sept. 15. Approximately 200 professionals per year are expected to participate in the self-supporting program.

"We've gotten enthusiastic responses from a number of developing countries, because they see the potential benefits for their export and domestic markets," Dubois says. "JIFSAN is already actively training overseas, and this facility gives us the chance to further contribute to the harmonization of international food-handling and testing standards."

IFSTL training began this summer with a pilot course on analyzing pesticide residue in fresh fruits and vegetables. A class of 11 laboratory scientists from Latin America was trained at the University of Maryland by U.S. FDA and EPA experts. Instruction was conducted in both English and Spanish. Waters Corporation provided liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry equipment – state-of-the-art technology used to measure the presence of multiple pesticide residues simultaneously.

The IFSTL laboratories are built to handle 20 students per session. Located in the University of Maryland's M-Square research park in suburban-Washington, D.C., right next-door to the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, IFSTL is uniquely positioned to offer high-level, multi-lingual instruction from U.S. scientists.

"This uncommon collaboration promises a powerful response to a serious and growing international concern," says University of Maryland President Wallace D. Loh. "Joining academic, private sector and government expertise makes a lot of sense, and is a uniquely effective way to build international scientific capacity and food safety."

"Waters Corporation is committed to bridging the gap between governments and industry to ensure the best science and most innovative technologies are used to make our food safe," says Waters Corporation Chairman, President and CEO Douglas A. Berthiaume. "We are proud to join with the University of Maryland to create this laboratory that will bolster the capabilities of both the FDA and our global partners as we work together to improve food safety."

More information on IFSTL: http://newsdesk.umd.edu/pdf/2011/IFSTL Brochure_sm.pdf
Complete News Release Online: http://www.newsdesk.umd.edu/uniini/release.cfm?ArticleID=2494

ABOUT JIFSAN

Founded in 1996 by the University of Maryland and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, JIFSAN is a multidisciplinary research, education and outreach program. Its mission is to advance sound strategies that improve public health, food safety, applied nutrition and animal health using risk analysis principles. It has developed strong partnerships with government agencies, industry, academia and public interest groups. It conducts extensive training, and has reached more than 2,500 food safety professionals from 27 countries.

ABOUT WATERS CORPORATION

Waters Corporation creates business advantages for laboratory-dependent organizations by delivering practical and sustainable innovation to enable significant advancements in such areas as healthcare delivery, environmental management, food safety, and water quality worldwide.

Pioneering a connected portfolio of separations science, laboratory information management, mass spectrometry and thermal analysis, Waters' technology breakthroughs and laboratory solutions provide an enduring platform for customer success.

Media Contacts:

Janie Dubois
IFSTL Laboratory Manager
301-405-8936
jdubois@umd.edu

Neil Tickner
University of Maryland Public Affairs
301-405-4622
ntickner@umd.edu

Jeffrey Tarmy
Manager, Corporate Communications
Waters Corporation
508-482-2268
Jeff_tarmy@waters.com

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