The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods (LAAF) Program is a relatively new program under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requiring imported foods under certain circumstances to be tested for specific analytes by an accredited laboratory. The FDA issued this final rule in December 2021, and it was fully adopted by February 2022.
The FDA’s website states, “The establishment of the LAAF program is intended to improve the accuracy and reliability of certain food testing through the uniformity of standards and enhanced FDA oversight of participating laboratories.”
To become LAAF accredited, a laboratory must earn the accreditation from an FDA-recognized accreditation body, such as A2LA. LAAF-recognized accreditation bodies independently assess the laboratory to the LAAF program specifications associated with each standard and test method included in the LAAF Program and submit their findings to the FDA for final approval.
Analytes required by FDA LAAF program include:
- Listeria monocytogenes
- Melamine and cyanuric acid
- Aflatoxins – B1, B2, G1, G2
- Deoxynivalenol (DON)
- Fumonisins – FB1, FB2, FB3
- Ochratoxin A
- Patulin
Additional analytes have been periodically added to this list as sufficient laboratory capacity has become available. For example, Toxic Elements (arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury) and Staphylococcus – Auerus were added to the list in 2026. LAAF accredited laboratories can voluntarily add analytes to their scope of accreditation to be considered when there is an import alert. If A2LA LAAF accredited laboratories would like to expand their scope to include these additional analytes, they can reach out to their Accreditation Officer directly.
The program also includes analyses of food product samples or environmental samples including but not limited to:
- Microbiological contaminants (bacteria, yeast, mold, etc.)
- Pesticides/herbicides
- GMO
- Water Activity
Laboratories seeking LAAF accreditation do not have to earn AOAC accreditation before seeking LAAF accreditation. While many of the requirements overlap, they are both independent, voluntary programs.
Conformity assessment bodies (CABs) can find more information about the LAAF Program from the FDA LAAF Dashboard: https://datadashboard.fda.gov/oii/fd/laaf.htm
For to learn more about A2LA’s LAAF Accreditation Program, and its requirements, visit A2LA.org /accreditation/laboratory-accreditation-for-analyses-of-foods-laaf/.