The
Use
ofla
bora
tory
Info
rmat
ion
Man
agem
entS
yste
msi
nFo
odSa
fety
Test
ing
The
Use
ofla
bora
tory
Info
rmat
ion
Man
agem
entS
yste
msi
nFo
odSa
fety
Test
ing
The
Use
of l
abor
ator
y In
form
atio
n M
anag
emen
t Sys
tem
s in
Food
Saf
ety
Test
ing
yg
yy
gC
liTh
td
DC
ttTh
Fih
Si
tifi
Wb
MA
USA
Col
in T
hurs
ton
and
Don
Cro
sset
t , T
herm
o Fi
sher
Sci
entif
ic, W
obur
n, M
A, U
SA.
Co
ust
oa
do
Cos
sett
,e
os
eSc
et
c,W
obu
,,U
S.
Intr
oduc
tion
Intr
oduc
tion
Ri
fl
Rti
it
it
df
dh
bi
idFo
odpr
oduc
tion
has
beco
me
incr
easi
ngly
glob
alis
edin
rece
ntye
ars
noto
nly
In o
rder
to il
lust
rate
this
poi
nt, c
onsi
der t
he fo
llow
ing
two
exam
ples
:Tr
acea
bilit
y &
Aut
hent
icity
Rep
ortin
g of
resu
ltsR
ecen
t iss
ues
conc
erni
ng c
onta
min
ated
food
s ha
ve b
een
give
n w
ide
cove
rage
Fo
od p
rodu
ctio
n ha
s be
com
e in
crea
sing
ly g
loba
lised
in re
cent
yea
rs, n
ot o
nly
inte
rms
offo
odpr
oduc
tion
buta
lso
inte
rms
ofgl
obal
dem
and
fors
peci
ficp
,g
py
yO
ne o
f the
key
regu
lato
ry re
quire
men
ts fo
r foo
d sa
fety
is tr
acea
bilit
y. L
IMS
Ty
pica
l foo
d sa
fety
labo
rato
ries
spen
d a
sign
ifica
nt a
mou
nt o
f tim
e in
the
wor
ld’s
pre
ss, w
hich
in tu
rn h
as le
d th
e co
nsum
er to
que
stio
n th
e sa
fety
of
in te
rms
of fo
od p
rodu
ctio
n, b
ut a
lso
in te
rms
of g
loba
l dem
and
for s
peci
fic
food
type
ses
sent
ially
aspo
pula
tions
inde
velo
ping
natio
nsha
vebe
com
e•
The
FDA
repo
rtsth
atth
ere
are
five
times
mor
eid
entif
ied
path
ogen
sy
gy
qy
yal
low
sus
ers
tono
tonl
ysh
owth
ere
latio
nshi
psbe
twee
nth
eva
rious
man
ually
pre
parin
g re
ports
. R
ecen
t vis
its m
ade
to c
usto
mer
labs
by
both
dom
estic
ally
pro
duce
d an
d im
porte
d fo
odst
uffs
. fo
od ty
pes
–es
sent
ially
as
popu
latio
ns in
dev
elop
ing
natio
ns h
ave
beco
me
lthi
thi
fd
dd
hb
iil
tth
ith
dl
dTh
e FD
A re
ports
that
ther
e ar
e fiv
e tim
es m
ore
iden
tifie
d pa
thog
ens
com
pare
dto
50ye
ars
ago
allo
ws
user
s to
not
onl
y sh
ow th
e re
latio
nshi
ps b
etw
een
the
vario
us
ingr
edie
nts
that
have
been
proc
esse
dto
prep
are
afin
alpr
oduc
tbu
tcan
Ther
mo
Fish
er s
taff
foun
d th
at u
p to
20%
(i.e
. one
day
per
wee
k) is
w
ealth
ier,
thei
r foo
d de
man
ds h
ave
beco
me
sim
ilar t
o th
ose
in th
e de
velo
ped
ldI
Chi
fl
thl
ffd
tk
th
dbl
dco
mpa
red
to 5
0 ye
ars
ago
ingr
edie
nts
that
hav
e be
en p
roce
ssed
to p
repa
re a
fina
l pro
duct
, but
can
al
soid
entif
yth
ete
stin
gca
rried
outa
teac
hst
age
–he
nce
itis
poss
ible
top
(y
p)
spen
t pre
parin
g re
port
data
in s
prea
dshe
ets
and
wor
d pr
oces
sing
Th
e en
suin
g de
man
ds fo
r sur
veilla
nce
of fo
od in
gred
ient
s an
d pr
oduc
ts m
eans
w
orld
. In
Chi
na, f
or e
xam
ple,
the
sale
s of
food
at s
uper
mar
kets
has
dou
bled
$
•A
naly
tical
tech
nolo
gies
have
adva
nced
toal
low
larg
enu
mbe
rsof
also
iden
tify
the
test
ing
carri
ed o
ut a
t eac
h st
age
henc
e it
is p
ossi
ble
to
show
both
the
rela
ted
ingr
edie
ntba
tche
sbu
tals
oth
equ
ality
ofth
ose
pp
pg
pp
pg
softw
are.
Nau
tilus
LIM
S a
llow
s us
ers
to a
utom
ate
this
ard
uous
g
gp
that
food
labo
rato
ries
are
requ
ired
to d
eplo
y an
incr
easi
ng n
umbe
r of t
estin
g ev
ery
year
sin
ce th
eir i
ntro
duct
ion
in 1
999,
and
now
repr
esen
t a $
100B
n •
Ana
lytic
al te
chno
logi
es h
ave
adva
nced
to a
llow
larg
e nu
mbe
rs o
f co
ntam
inan
tsto
besc
reen
edin
asi
ngle
met
hod
eg
Figu
re3:
170
show
bot
h th
e re
late
d in
gred
ient
bat
ches
, but
als
o th
e qu
ality
of t
hose
in
gred
ient
sIn
the
exam
ple
show
nin
Figu
re4
(bel
ow)
afa
iling
repo
rting
proc
ess
usin
gre
-usa
ble
tem
plat
es,e
mbe
dded
calc
ulat
ions
qp
yg
gm
etho
ds a
nd to
sor
t thr
ough
the
resu
lting
dat
a to
hig
hlig
ht p
oten
tial p
robl
ems.
indu
stry
.co
ntam
inan
ts to
be
scre
ened
in a
sin
gle
met
hod
–e.
g. F
igur
e 3:
170
pe
stic
ides
ina
GC
MS
/MS
met
hod
(see
Figu
re3)
ingr
edie
nts.
In
the
exam
ple
show
n in
Fig
ure
4 (b
elow
), a
failin
g m
icro
biol
ogy
resu
ltis
high
light
edw
ithin
ara
wm
ater
ialt
hath
asbe
enus
edto
repo
rting
pro
cess
usi
ng re
usab
le te
mpl
ates
, em
bedd
ed c
alcu
latio
ns
and
inbu
iltin
stru
men
tdat
am
anag
emen
tfun
ctio
nalit
ym
etho
ds a
nd to
sor
t thr
ough
the
resu
lting
dat
a to
hig
hlig
ht p
oten
tial p
robl
ems.
pest
icid
es in
a G
C-M
S/M
S m
etho
d (s
ee F
igur
e 3)
mic
robi
olog
y re
sult
is h
ighl
ight
ed w
ithin
a ra
w m
ater
ial t
hat h
as b
een
used
to
prod
uce
the
finis
hed
prod
uct
and
inbu
ilt in
stru
men
t dat
a m
anag
emen
t fun
ctio
nalit
y.
Labo
rato
ryIn
form
atio
nM
anag
emen
tSys
tem
s(L
IMS
)are
purp
ose
built
toco
peR
ecen
t hig
h pr
ofile
inci
dent
s of
food
con
tam
inat
ion
have
rais
ed b
oth
publ
ic
prod
uce
the
finis
hed
prod
uct.
By
auto
mat
ing
the
data
colle
ctio
nLa
bora
tory
Info
rmat
ion
Man
agem
ent S
yste
ms
(LIM
S) a
re p
urpo
se b
uilt
to c
ope
with
the
need
sof
toda
y’s
high
thro
ughp
utla
bora
torie
sby
auto
mat
ing
wor
kflo
ws
gp
pan
d po
litic
al c
once
rns
that
ove
rsig
ht o
f foo
d pr
oduc
tion
has
not b
een
strin
gent
B
y au
tom
atin
g th
e da
ta c
olle
ctio
n pr
oces
sal
lthe
way
from
inst
rum
ents
with
the
need
s of
toda
ys
high
thro
ughp
ut la
bora
torie
s by
aut
omat
ing
wor
kflo
ws,
en
surin
gth
atth
efo
odsc
ient
ists
pend
sle
sstim
eon
pape
rwor
kan
dp
gp
gen
ough
, all
of w
hich
has
incr
ease
d bo
th th
e sc
rutin
y an
d th
e w
orkl
oad
of th
e pr
oces
s al
l the
way
from
inst
rum
ents
, th
roug
hca
lcul
atio
nsan
dup
until
the
ensu
ring
that
the
food
sci
entis
t spe
nds
less
tim
e on
pap
erw
ork
and
adm
inis
tratio
nan
dm
ore
time
onsc
ienc
eg
,y
food
safe
tyla
bora
tory
.th
roug
h ca
lcul
atio
ns a
nd u
p un
til th
e fin
alre
sult
appe
ars
upon
are
port
adm
inis
tratio
n an
d m
ore
time
on s
cien
ce.
food
saf
ety
labo
rato
ry.
final
resu
lt ap
pear
s up
on a
repo
rtth
tlb
ti
im
eans
that
labo
rato
ry s
uper
visi
oni
li
dt
lidt
hTo
day’
sC
halle
nges
inFo
odSa
fety
Test
ing
is n
o lo
nger
requ
ired
to v
alid
ate
each
idi
idl
lTo
day
s C
halle
nges
in F
ood
Safe
ty T
estin
gin
divi
dual
s re
sults
.
Thff
df
ih
id
kdl
ii
ThTh
e sc
ope
of fo
od s
afet
y te
stin
g ha
s in
crea
sed
mar
kedl
y in
rece
nt ti
mes
. Th
e Fi
gure
4-U
sing
Nau
tilus
LIM
Sto
requ
irem
ents
for t
estin
g of
food
for h
uman
con
sum
ptio
n en
com
pass
es n
ot
Figu
re 4
-U
sing
Nau
tilus
LIM
S to
Tr
ace
Bat
chQ
ualit
yFi
gure
6 –
Rep
ortin
g –
Gat
herin
g th
e on
ly fo
od p
rodu
cts
and
ingr
edie
nts,
ani
mal
hea
lth, a
nim
al w
elfa
re a
nd p
lant
Tr
ace
Bat
ch Q
ualit
y D
ata
toge
ther
One
sin
gle
met
hod
gene
rate
s 17
0he
alth
. di
ffere
nt re
sults
:
Ci
ithC
hH
ow w
ill y
ou c
heck
them
?H
illt
thl
?H
avin
gLI
MS
imm
edia
tely
high
light
whe
na
key
test
has
faile
dm
eans
that
Cop
ing
with
Cha
nge
How
will
you
trac
e th
e sa
mpl
es?
Hav
ing
LIM
S im
med
iate
ly h
ighl
ight
whe
n a
key
test
has
faile
d m
eans
that
d
ii
bt
kdi
till
fd
tth
t
pg
gTh
Si
tif’
LIM
Sd
id
tith
hi
lb
tde
cisi
ons
can
be ta
ken
rega
rdin
g qu
aran
tine
or re
call
of p
rodu
cts
that
i
ii
tht
tili
ttth
dTh
erm
o S
cien
tifc’
s LI
MS
are
des
igne
d to
cop
e w
ith c
hang
es in
labo
rato
ry
min
imiz
e th
e po
tent
ial i
mpa
ct to
the
cons
umer
and
com
pany
.w
orkf
low
s an
d cu
stom
er in
frast
ruct
ure
cust
omiz
atio
n. B
y ar
chite
ctin
g sy
stem
s Fi
gure
3–
Fast
Pest
icid
eA
naly
sis
Met
hod
–Th
erm
oSc
ient
ific
San
Jose
that
are
use
r con
figur
able
, our
app
roac
h al
low
s th
e la
bora
tory
to b
e ab
le to
Fi
gure
3
Fast
Pes
ticid
e A
naly
sis
Met
hod
Ther
mo
Scie
ntifi
c, S
an J
ose
Man
agin
g th
e La
bora
tory
Pro
cess
cope
with
cha
nges
in m
etho
ds, r
egul
atio
ns a
nd c
usto
mer
dem
ands
.A
ll of
this
add
s to
the
amou
nt o
f dat
a th
e la
bora
tory
is re
quire
d to
pro
duce
and
LI
MS
is d
esig
ned
to in
crea
se e
ffici
ency
of t
he la
bora
tory
by
auto
mat
ing
The
curre
ntpo
litic
alfo
cus
onfo
odsa
fety
mea
nsth
atre
gula
tions
are
one
ofth
em
anag
e an
d re
port.
..ta
sks
and
deci
sion
s:Th
e cu
rrent
pol
itica
l foc
us o
n fo
od s
afet
y m
eans
that
regu
latio
ns a
re o
ne o
f the
t
idl
hi
fth
lb
tF
lTh
Fd
Sf
tg
p•Id
entif
ying
sam
ples
hav
ing
the
sam
e te
stin
g re
quire
men
ts to
mak
e sa
mpl
e m
ost r
apid
ly c
hang
ing
area
s fo
r the
labo
rato
ry. F
or e
xam
ple,
The
Foo
d S
afet
y E
htA
ttl
bi
li
lt
di
thU
Sl
dd
yg
pg
gq
ppr
epar
atio
n an
d te
stin
g ef
ficie
ntE
nhan
cem
ent A
ct c
urre
ntly
bei
ng le
gisl
ated
in th
e U
S p
lace
s ne
w d
eman
ds o
n l
bi
tfd
tti
fth
US
kt
Nl
li
tf
Usi
ngLI
MS
toM
anag
eth
eD
ata
Mou
ntai
np
pg
•Aut
omat
ing
data
colle
ctio
nan
dpr
oces
sing
from
inst
rum
ents
–re
duci
ngla
bs c
arry
ing
out f
ood
test
ing
for t
he U
S m
arke
t. N
ew le
gal r
equi
rem
ents
for
Usi
ng L
IMS
to M
anag
e th
e D
ata
Mou
ntai
nA
utom
atin
g da
ta c
olle
ctio
n an
d pr
oces
sing
from
inst
rum
ents
re
duci
ng
erro
rsau
tom
atin
gca
lcul
atio
nsan
dre
mov
ing
man
ualr
evie
wst
eps
insp
ectio
ns, t
race
abilit
y an
d ce
rtific
atio
n m
ean
that
org
aniz
atio
ns n
eed
to b
e Fi
gure
2 –
Glo
bal N
ews
Hig
hlig
hts
Food
Saf
ety
Issu
esIt
il
tht
dl
tilt
hi
hth
bilit
tt
erro
rs, a
utom
atin
g ca
lcul
atio
ns a
nd re
mov
ing
man
ual r
evie
w s
teps
•Man
agin
gby
exce
ptio
n–
rem
ovin
gth
ene
edfo
rthe
scie
ntis
tto
sift
thro
ugh
able
to d
emon
stra
te c
ompl
ete
cont
rol o
ver t
heir
anal
ytic
al p
roce
ss.
Doi
ng s
o It
is c
lear
that
mod
ern
anal
ytic
al te
chni
ques
hav
e th
e ab
ility
to g
ener
ate
mor
e d
df
hl
bI
il
lh
hl
bM
anag
ing
by e
xcep
tion
rem
ovin
g th
e ne
ed fo
r the
sci
entis
t to
sift
thro
ugh
mul
tiple
data
sets
and
pote
ntia
llym
issi
ngke
yre
sults
with
out r
ecou
rse
to th
e bu
ilt in
sec
urity
, tra
ceab
ility
and
cont
rol m
echa
nism
s an
d m
ore
data
for t
he la
bora
tory
to p
roce
ss.
It is
als
o cl
ear t
hat t
he la
bora
tory
m
ultip
le d
ata
sets
and
pot
entia
lly m
issi
ng k
ey re
sults
with
in L
IMS
will
be a
cha
lleng
ing
pros
pect
.Fi
gure
1–
The
Scop
eof
Food
Safe
tysc
ient
ist n
eeds
tool
s to
mak
e su
re th
at th
ey a
re s
pend
ing
as m
uch
time
as
gg
pp
Figu
re 1
Th
e Sc
ope
of F
ood
Safe
typo
ssib
le d
oing
val
uabl
e w
ork,
rath
er th
an m
anua
lly s
iftin
g da
ta a
nd p
repa
ring
Con
clus
ions
The
Dat
aM
ount
ain
inFo
odSa
fety
Labs
Reg
ulat
ory
bodi
essu
chas
the
EU
and
FDA
requ
ireco
mpl
ianc
ew
ithth
eir
repo
rts.
Con
clus
ions
The
Dat
a M
ount
ain
in F
ood
Safe
ty L
abs
Reg
ulat
ory
bodi
es s
uch
as th
e E
U a
nd F
DA
requ
ire c
ompl
ianc
e w
ith th
eir
stan
dard
sby
dom
estic
prod
ucer
sas
wel
las
thos
ein
third
coun
tries
who
pTh
e us
e of
LIM
S in
food
saf
ety
test
ing
is a
sig
nific
ant w
ay to
impr
ove
labo
rato
ry
As
we
have
seen
,the
wor
kloa
dspl
aced
upon
the
labo
rato
ryis
incr
easi
ng.
stan
dard
s by
dom
estic
pro
duce
rs a
s w
ell a
s th
ose
in th
ird c
ount
ries
who
ex
port
toth
ose
mar
kets
Labo
rato
ry In
form
atio
n M
anag
emen
t Sys
tem
s ar
e al
l abo
ut a
utom
atin
g y
gg
yp
yef
ficie
ncy,
trac
eabi
lity
and
com
plia
nce
with
regu
lato
ry d
eman
ds, w
hils
t fre
eing
A
s w
e ha
ve s
een,
the
wor
kloa
ds p
lace
d up
on th
e la
bora
tory
is in
crea
sing
. Th
ere
are
anu
mbe
rofk
eypr
essu
res
that
cont
ribut
eto
this
:ex
port
to th
ose
mar
kets
.y
gy
gre
peat
able
labo
rato
rypr
oces
ses,
assi
stin
gla
bm
anag
ers
and
scie
ntis
tsto
y,y
pg
y,
gup
the
food
scie
ntis
tto
spen
dm
ore
time
onan
alys
isan
dle
sson
adm
inis
tratio
nTh
ere
are
a nu
mbe
r of k
ey p
ress
ures
that
con
tribu
te to
this
:•
As
path
ogen
san
dpo
tent
ially
harm
fulc
onta
min
ants
are
iden
tifie
dG
iven
that
over
70%
ofth
ew
orld
’stra
deis
food
rela
ted1
itis
clea
rtha
tthi
sre
peat
able
labo
rato
ry p
roce
sses
, ass
istin
g la
b m
anag
ers
and
scie
ntis
ts to
co
ntro
land
mon
itort
hela
bora
tory
envi
ronm
ent
and
mak
ing
criti
cal
up th
e fo
od s
cien
tist t
o sp
end
mor
e tim
e on
ana
lysi
s an
d le
ss o
n ad
min
istra
tion
Cf
ti
di
iti
tllf
ki
hih
As
path
ogen
s an
d po
tent
ially
har
mfu
l con
tam
inan
ts a
re id
entif
ied,
an
alyt
ical
tech
nolo
gies
are
bein
gde
velo
ped
tom
ake
dete
ctio
nan
dFi
gure
5 -
Usi
ng
Giv
en th
at o
ver 7
0% o
f the
wor
lds
trade
is fo
od re
late
d1, i
t is
clea
r tha
t thi
s pl
aces
asi
gnifi
cant
dem
and
upon
the
reso
urce
sof
food
prod
ucer
sim
porte
rsco
ntro
l and
mon
itor t
he la
bora
tory
env
ironm
ent,
and
mak
ing
criti
cal
info
rmat
ion
avai
labl
eas
soon
asit
isge
nera
ted
Con
sum
er s
afet
y is
driv
ing
a m
ore
strin
gent
lega
l fra
mew
ork
in w
hich
an
alyt
ical
tech
nolo
gies
are
bei
ng d
evel
oped
to m
ake
dete
ctio
n an
d qu
antif
icat
ion
poss
ible
Nau
tilus
to M
anag
e pl
aces
a s
igni
fican
t dem
and
upon
the
reso
urce
s of
food
pro
duce
rs, i
mpo
rters
d
tll
hl
tb
dth
td
info
rmat
ion
avai
labl
e as
soo
n as
it is
gen
erat
ed.
labo
rato
ries
mus
t ope
rate
, and
LIM
S is
the
idea
l too
l to
help
labo
rato
ries
quan
tific
atio
n po
ssib
le.
•R
egul
ator
yau
thor
ities
upda
test
anda
rds
that
com
pell
abor
ator
ies
toth
e La
bora
tory
an
d ex
porte
rs a
s w
ell a
s on
eac
h re
gula
tory
bod
y th
at o
vers
ees
and
thi
fd
it
Lets
cons
ider
som
eke
yfu
nctio
nala
reas
that
are
supp
orte
dby
the
labo
rato
ryde
mon
stra
te th
eir c
ompe
tenc
e an
d ad
here
nce
to th
ese
requ
irem
ents
.•
Reg
ulat
ory
auth
oriti
es u
pdat
e st
anda
rds
that
com
pel l
abor
ator
ies
to
carry
outt
hese
addi
tiona
ltes
tspr
oces
sau
thor
ises
food
impo
rts.
Lets
con
side
r som
e ke
y fu
nctio
nal a
reas
that
are
sup
porte
d by
the
labo
rato
ry
and
how
LIM
Sca
nsh
owsi
gnifi
cant
adva
ntag
esov
era
man
uals
yste
m**
*Thi
spo
ster
isad
opte
dfro
ma
oral
pres
enta
tion
whi
chca
nbe
view
edvi
ath
eca
rry o
ut th
ese
addi
tiona
l tes
ts.
Al
tilt
hi
lt
ihi
hiti
itf
and
how
LIM
S c
an s
how
sig
nific
ant a
dvan
tage
s ov
er a
man
ual s
yste
m.
This
pos
ter i
s ad
opte
d fro
m a
ora
l pre
sent
atio
n w
hich
can
be
view
ed v
ia th
e w
ebP
leas
eco
ntac
tmic
helle
shar
ron@
ther
mof
ishe
rcom
fora
repr
ints
and
•A
naly
tical
tech
niqu
es e
volv
e to
giv
e hi
gher
sen
sitiv
ity fo
r t
it
web
. P
leas
e co
ntac
t mic
helle
.sha
rron@
ther
mof
ishe
r.com
for a
repr
ints
and
d
til
blt
tico
ntam
inan
ts
upda
tes
on a
vaila
ble
pres
enta
tions
1U
N F
AO
(Foo
d an
d A
gric
ultu
re O
rgan
isat
ion)
(g
g)