What We Do
Advancing Seafood Safety
NOAA’s National Seafood Inspection Laboratory provides analytical testing and scientific expertise to support the United States seafood industry. We provide a critical link between regulatory policy and consumer safety. Seafood can harbor naturally occurring or introduced foodborne pathogens, such as Vibrio or Salmonella, along with chemical contaminants including heavy metals or algal toxins, which present significant hazards to human health if left unmonitored. Our rigorous data collection and testing ensure these threats to human health are identified and managed before reaching the public.
Our Services
- Regulatory Support: We develop and maintain analytical detection methods for chemical and microbiological contaminants to determine potential food safety hazards.
- Market Protection: We provide rigorous testing for federal programs to ensure the safety and integrity of United States seafood products for both domestic and export markets.
- Export Certification: Our laboratory provides technical expertise and testing for seafood and byproduct export programs that facilitate international trade.
- Innovation in Food Safety: We actively develop new analytical methods to detect emerging hazards to human health and support sustainable fisheries management.
Gold-Standard Quality Assurance
Trust in analytical data and results are built on rigorous standards. The laboratory operates under a Quality Laboratory Management Program that adheres to the highest international benchmarks.
ISO/IEC 17025:2017 Accreditation
Since October 2016, our laboratory has been accredited by the American National Standards Institute National Accreditation Board (Certificate No.: AT-3372). This accreditation assures:
- Standardized Excellence: Every staff member conducts testing and reporting in strict compliance with International Organization for Standardization / International Electrotechnical Commission 17025 requirements.
- Data Integrity: Our procedures undergo multi-level quality assurance reviews to provide absolute confidence in every report.
National Shellfish Sanitation Program
Our laboratory adheres to the National Shellfish Sanitation Program Guide for the Control of Molluscan Shellfish for Quality Assurance.
- Validation Expertise: We perform single-lab validations to improve the accuracy and safety of shellfish analysis.
- Regulatory Compliance: Our status conforms to standards set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference.
Specialized Analytical Services
Chemistry Services
In support of NOAA Fisheries’ Seafood Inspection Program, we provide high-sensitivity testing of seafood products for heavy metals, organic compounds, and quality indicators.
- Core Testing: Mercury, cadmium, selenium, sulfites, histamines, algal toxins and moisture.
- Advanced Instrumentation: includes Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC/MS-MS), Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS), Gas Chromatography (GC), and Ultraviolet-Visible Spectroscopy (UV-Vis).
Learn more about our chemistry capabilities
Microbiological and Genomic Services
From traditional pathogen detection to cutting-edge environmental DNA genomics, we provide comprehensive microbial profiles.
- Pathogen Detection: Specialized testing for Salmonella and indicator organisms in fishery byproducts.
- Vibrio Surveillance: An approved laboratory test for the Most Probable Number Real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction method for Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio vulnificus.
- 'Omics & eDNA: Providing support of the White House National Strategy for Aquatic Environmental DNA through collaborative 'omics research with NOAA science centers and National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science.
Learn more about our microbiology capabilities
Collaborate With Us
Whether you are looking for specific analytical testing or are interested in a scientific partnership to advance seafood safety technology, we invite you to contact us.
Our Leadership
Jon Bell, Ph.D.
Division Chief (Acting)
Dr. Bell has been director of the National Seafood Inspection Laboratory for more than 10 years. Prior to the laboratory, Dr. Bell was the Louisiana Sea Grant Seafood Specialist and Extension Professor in the LSU AgCenter Food Science Department. Under Dr. Bell’s directorship, the laboratory achieved 3rd-party recertification of its ISO 17025 Laboratory Management Program.
Patricia Rabideau
Branch Chief
Ms. Tricia Rabideau recently completed her fourth year as Supervisory Lead Analyst at the National Seafood Inspection Laboratory. She oversees analytical operations and a team of analysts. She brings over 25 years of clinical and environmental microbiology experience to her role, where she provides expertise in ISO/IEC 17025 and microbiology. Ms. Rabideau serves on the Technical Advisory Group to the International Organization for Standardization on Food Products and participates in Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference committees.