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Team to monitor imported feed and food products in TexasTexas The Office of the State Chemist, a state regulatory agency administratively housed by Texas AgriLife Research, has received grant funding from the Food and Drug Administration to be part of a rapid response team monitoring imported feed and food products into the Lone Star State. The grant is administered by the Texas Department of State Health Services-Foods Group, which regulates human food manufacturers and wholesale distributors in Texas. The Office of the State Chemist administers the Texas Commercial Feed Control Act that includes cereals and oilseed contaminated by mycotoxins, feed ingredients and finished feeds, as well as pet food. The state agencies will work in partnership to develop a rapid response team to address foodborne illnesses and disasters, said Tim Herrman, Ph.D., director of the Office of the State Chemist. "Using an incident command structure, this will provide specialized protocol for investigating and mitigating major foodborne illness outbreaks in many ways," he said. The rapid response team will identify responsible food and eliminate hazards to reduce further exposure; attain regulatory foods program standards; provide lab capacity for testing of human and food (including feed) specimens; and improve communication and education among stakeholders. The Office of the State Chemist Texas Feed and Fertilizer Control Service provides regulatory oversight for 4,000 firms including 3000 licensed feed facilities¬--50 percent are located out of state. The field staff includes 14 investigators. The office and field staff will provide expertise and improve communication in the area of animal feed where animal feed can be a direct or indirect problem to the health of the human population, Herrman said. "We will be identifying potential problem areas and providing trainings throughout the state to field staff, strengthening our response effort," Herrman said. Additionally, laboratory testing facilities in College Station will support the Department of State Health Services during large-scale foodborne illness outbreaks. "Using our laboratory facilities will speed up analysis done during peak sample submissions," Herrman said. "This will assist the DSHS to quickly identify a problem area or mitigate a potential problem." For more information about the Office of The State Chemist, visit http://otsc.tamu.edu.
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