# Chemistry: Analytical Track 2: Human Food Testing

> **NIH FDA U19** · MARYLAND STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH · 2020 · $293,000

## Abstract

SUMMARY: CHEMISTRY ANALYTICAL TRACK 2 (HUMAN FOOD TESTING) 
Serious foodborne illness resulting from contamination of food is a notable and largely preventable public 
health problem that receives national spotlight every year. The overarching aim of this proposal is to 
contribute a comprehensive and integrated food protection laboratory hub to the Food Emergency 
Response Network (FERN) that is capable of analyzing food across many diverse threat priorities. 
Embracing the Food & Drug Administration’s prudent strategic shift from outbreak management to 
prevention through large volume sample testing, we propose to contribute our extensive and proven 
capabilities in toxic metal testing, nutrition analysis, and detection of pesticides and certain mycotoxins 
in foods. As a primary servicing laboratory for the Manufactured Food Product Regulatory 
Standard, we have successfully used our ISO/IEC 17025:2017-accredited methods to analyze a wide 
variety of foods. The current proposal seeks to maintain this momentum by continuing to test diverse 
human foods for chemical threats at the high sample volume level (500 samples per year). The 
commodity/hazard targets have been selected based on FDA’s national priorities. Since the MDH 
Laboratories Administration is a human food regulatory laboratory, 15% or more of samples will be 
collected by trained Maryland Office of Food Protection collectors. Additional samples will be collected 
by our own trained and FERN-approved contracted collectors, which will also allow us to rapidly tailor our 
testing to Maryland’s needs and threat priorities.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10174016
- **Project number:** 1U19FD007084-01
- **Recipient organization:** MARYLAND STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
- **Principal Investigator:** SINISA URBAN
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** FDA
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $293,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-01 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10174016

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10174016, Chemistry: Analytical Track 2: Human Food Testing (1U19FD007084-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10174016. Licensed CC0.

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