The New York State/Cornell Animal Health Diagnostic Center is a full-service multidisciplinary veterinary diagnostic laboratory at Cornell University. The AHDC received over 270,000 client accessions in 2021. The Analytical Toxicology section has GC/MS, HPLC, LC/MS-MS, atomic absorption, and ICP-AES capabilities, making it a full-service analytical toxicology laboratory. The Analytical Toxicology laboratory of the AHDC performed approximately 52,000 analyses in the year 2021 on tissue, environmental, food, and feed samples.

The AHDC has partnered with the FDA and played an active role in pet food and animal feed contamination investigations many times over the past dozen years. We hope to continue our participation with the FDA VetLIRN program and other network laboratories to: 1) Continue participation in VPO designated sample analyses and surveillance activities to promote animal health and welfare and add to the VetLIRN Network’s surge capacity to assist in emergency and large-scale outbreak testing. 2) Provide analytical data to support regulatory actions by developing and using standardized methods, equipment platforms, and reporting methods, continued participation in proficiency testing provided by the VPO, continue investigating consumer reported cases as requested by the VPO, and continuing to improve and implement standardized quality management systems as designated by the VPO. 3) Continue to participate in small-scale method development projects, such as feed aflatoxin using CHARM, and participate in additional method development, such development of a method to detect cholecalciferol and related compounds in foods, feeds, and animal tissues.

The Analytical Toxicology section of the AHDC intends to continue cooperative activities with the FDA VetLIRN, the VetLIRN network, and federal, state, local and tribal organizations to promote animal health and feed and food safety and security.