FOOD SAFETY
Standardizing Competency in Human and
Animal Food Laboratories
by Robyn Randolph, senior specialist, Food Laboratory Accreditation
The National Curriculum Standard
Laboratory Curriculum Framework
(LCF) is a national effort to standardize
training and competency in human
and animal food testing laboratories
(Figure 1). Over the past seven years,
APHL members and partners in the LCF
Workgroup have captured important skills
and knowledge that every human and
animal laboratorian should possess to be
successful in their position. LCF covers
five professional levels—Entry, Mid-level,
Expert, Supervisor/Manager and Senior
Administration.
For each particular subject, or “content
area,” the LCF Workgroup developed
competency statements that outline the
knowledge and skills a laboratorian at
that professional level should possess to
perform their job functions successfully.
Content areas are either “core” (applying
to all laboratory professionals) or
“program-specific” (applying to laboratory
professionals in chemistry, microbiology
or specialized programs). Many content
areas in this framework, such as Basic
Communication Skills and Ethics, contain
competencies that will have broad
applicability beyond just human and
animal food testing.
Public Health Significance
LCF is an important tool that can
ensure comparable work performed
by laboratorians regardless of location,
which assists other states and
jurisdictions in accepting and acting
upon laboratory data. Supervisors can
use the competencies in performance
reviews, assessing whether a laboratorian
is competent in their position or is ready
to advance to a higher level. The courses
(process described below) can supplement
in-house training, providing additional
resources for new-hire and continuing
education trainings. Additionally, LCF
Human and Animal Food Laboratory Professionals Curriculum Framework - May, 2020
Senior
Administration
Supervisor / Manager
Program Specific
Supervisor /
Manager
Expert (Program
Specific)
Expert
Accreditation /
Certification
Acidified Foods
Advocacy
Conflict Resolution
and Mediation
Budget
Advanced Chemistry
Advanced
Leadership
Change
Management
Incident Command
System (ICS)
Allergens
Continuity of
Operations
Facility
Management
Animal Food Human Food Shellfish
Advanced Microbiology
Negotiation
Evidence-Based
Decision
Making
Human
Resource
Management
ISO (Section 4)
Instrument
Repair
Grant Writing
Legislative
Affairs
Risk Communication
Introduction
Leadership / Executive
Program
Certificates & Certifications
Laboratory
Evaluation
Officer
Internal Audit
Organizational Culture
Coaching
Labeling
Policy Making
Program / Grant Management
Nanotechnology
Measurement
Uncertainty
Public Relations
Animal Health
Method
Modification /
Development
Risk Analysis (Management &
Communication)
Animal Food
Risk Analysis
Stakeholder Support
Human
Food
Systems Analysis
Instructor Development
Project Management
Shellfish
Chemistry
Microbiology
Validation Methods
Certificates & Certifications
Mid (Program
Specific)
Animal
Food
Animal
Health
Gas Chromatography -
Mass Spectroscopy
(GCMS)
Dairy
Environmental
Inductively Coupled Plasma
Mass Spectrometry
(ICPMS)
Human
Food
Shellfish
Audit
Liquid Chromatography -
Mass Spectroscopy (LCMS)
Hazardous
Material
Shipping
National Laboratory
Networks Methods
Infectious Agent
Shipping
Radiological
Animal
Food
Safety
Animal
Health
Food
Safety
Waste
Management
Environmental
Conditions
Advanced Technologies
Milk and Dairy
Product Safety
Shellfish
National Laboratory Networks
Methods
Mid
Advanced
Communication Skills
Advanced Quality
Techniques
Basic Leadership
Skills
Critical Thinking
Evidentiary
Integrity
Human and Animal
Food Incident
Response
Laboratory Networks,
Collaborations, and
Interagency Programs
Legal Proceedings
Method Evaluation
and Selection
Root Cause
Analysis
Certificates & Certifications
Entry (Program
Specific)
Basic
Chromatography
Animal Food Biosafety Level 3 Dairy Regulatory Programs Select Agents Shellfish Regulatory Programs
Basic Separation /
Extraction Techniques
Basic Mass
Spectrometry
Basic
Spectroscopy
Environmental
Monitoring and
Investigations
Aseptic
Techniques
Basic Foodborne
Pathogens
Environmental
Conditions
Microbiological
Testing
Entry
Accreditation/
Certification
Basic
Communication
Skills
Basic Laboratory
Math
Basic Laboratory
Statistics
Basic Laboratory
Techniques
Chain of Custody
Ethics
Incident Command
System (ICS)
Integrated Food
Safety System
(IFSS)
Laboratory
Information
Management
System (LIMS)
Laboratory
Sampling
Method Resources
Public Health (One
Health) Approach
Quality
Management
Systems
Regulatory
Programs
Regulatory
Sampling
Safety
Waste Management
Figure 1: National Curriculum Standard Laboratory Curriculum Framework
12 LAB MATTERS Spring 2020
PublicHealthLabs
@APHL APHL.org