Enhancing Washington’s Food Safety Lab Capacity to Protect People and Pets
Official title: Enhancing the Capacity and Capability of Washington State Human and Animal Food Testing Laboratory in Support of an Integrated Food Safety System
Funded at Wa State Department of Agriculture · NIH-11422105 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A state food safety lab is expanding its capacity and capabilities to quickly test human and animal foods for safety, improving how outbreaks are detected and managed.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wa State Department of Agriculture NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Olympia, United States) |
| Project start | September 25, 2025 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $365,000 |
| NIH project number | 5U19FD008610-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11422105 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable; this grant supports laboratory capacity and public health systems rather than individual patients.
✕Less likely to help
Direct patient participation is not part of this grant.
What this research studies
If you rely on the WA state food safety system, this grant helps a major regulatory lab upgrade its methods, equipment, and processes so it can rapidly analyze food samples from the public and, during emergencies, surge testing capacity. The work centers on maintaining ISO 17025 quality, integrating with federal partners, and applying multiple testing methods to detect contaminants in human and animal foods. The goal is faster, accurate results that support safer food in everyday life and during foodborne illness events. Participation would come through future testing workflows and potential collaboration with laboratories during emergencies, not direct patient involvement today.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to quicker and more reliable detection of food safety issues, reducing illness risk for the public.
How similar studies have gone: Prior collaborations with FDA and other federal partners show a track record of successful coordinated food safety testing.
Where this research is happening
-
Wa State Department of Agriculture
Olympia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Liu, Yong — Wa State Department of Agriculture
- Study coordinator: Liu, Yong
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.