LAAF; Reporting Requirements

U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods
(LAAF) Program
Electronic User Guide
Step-by-Step Instructions for an Accredited
Laboratory to Manage Accreditation Status in the
Program

Document Version: 2.0
Last Updated: March 2024

Table of Contents
1

2

Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1
1.1

Overview of FDA Portals for Electronic Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of
Foods Program Submissions ............................................................................. 1

1.2

Add Attachments ................................................................................................ 1

1.3

Supported Browsers........................................................................................... 2

Access FDA FIS Electronic Portal ............................................................................ 3
2.1

Log In with an Existing Account ......................................................................... 3

2.2

Create an Account ............................................................................................. 5

3

Access the Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods Program – Accredited
Laboratory (AL)....................................................................................................... 16

4

Submit a Commodity Specific Analytical Package .................................................. 20

5

Submit Supplemental Documentation..................................................................... 31

6

Reports and Notifications ........................................................................................ 37
6.1

7

8

Notice of Request for Submission of Abridged Analytical Packages ................ 39

View My Profile ....................................................................................................... 50
7.1

Edit Account Profile.......................................................................................... 52

7.2

View the Verification Status of a Test Method .................................................. 56

7.3

View Package Submission Allowed for a Testing Discipline ............................ 58

Contact Us.............................................................................................................. 60

APPENDIX .................................................................................................................... 63
Abbreviations ............................................................................................................. 63
Icon Behavior ............................................................................................................. 63

1 Introduction
This document is intended for Accredited Laboratories (ALs), or persons authorized to
act on their behalf, who are participating in FDA’s Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses
of Foods (LAAF) Program.
This document provides detailed instructions regarding how an AL can use FDA’s
electronic portal for the following:
Complete account setup
Manage an AL profile
Submit test method verification/validation studies
Submit commodity specific analytical packages*
Submit request for permission to begin abridged import analytical submission
Communicate with FDA
*Note: Import-related testing submissions should be submitted through the ITACS
Program. Users should log into FURLS and select the “Import Trade Auxiliary
Communication System (ITACS)” link under the “Other FDA Systems” section.

1.1 Overview of FDA Portals for Electronic Laboratory
Accreditation for Analyses of Foods Program
Submissions
FDA Industry Systems (FIS)
FIS is an electronic portal which facilitates making submissions to FDA; it includes
registration, listing, and other notifications. FIS is available 24 hours a day, seven days
a week. It provides general entry to a series of systems which allow electronic
submissions to FDA.
FDA’s Unified Registration and Listing System (FURLS)
FURLS is a specific component of FIS. Persons with an FDA account ID and password
for the FIS electronic portal can use systems within the FURLS components to
exchange information with the Agency. The FURLS system described in this document
is for the Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods (LAAF) Program.

1.2 Add Attachments
Users of the system may need to provide additional information to the Agency while
working in the portal. Additional documentation can be provided by attaching an
electronic file (e.g., analytical reports, method validations and verifications, corrective
action reports, or other supporting information).
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The electronic LAAF Program’s system supports attachments of the following
document types: .pdf, .png, .jpeg, .gif, .bmp, .jpg, .jpe, .jfif, .tif, .tiff, .doc, .docx, .ppt, .xls,
.xlsx, .txt, .pptx, and .rtf. The maximum file size allowed is 50 MB.
Relevant sections of this document will identify opportunities for adding attachments.

1.3 Supported Browsers
FURLS may be accessed using Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, or Mozilla Firefox.
Users should visit the “Systems Requirements” section of the FURLS page for a list of
approved browsers and browser versions. The “Systems Requirements” section can be
found by navigating to the FDA FIS page.

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2 Access FDA FIS Electronic Portal
An Accredited Laboratory (AL) participating in FDA’s LAAF Program is required to
create an online account first. Once the account has been created, the user can then
log into the FURLS Online Account Administration (OAA) page with valid account
credentials. The user should navigate to the FIS page and click the “Log-In” or “Create
Account” button, depending on which is applicable (Figure 2.1).

Figure 2.1: FDA Industry Systems Page

2.1 Log In with an Existing Account
If the user has previously created an FIS account, they should click the “Log-In” button
on the “FDA Industry Systems” page (Figure 2.2).

Figure 2.2: Log-In Button

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The user will be directed to the OAA “Login” page. They can enter the Account ID and
password to log in, then click the “Update System Access” link from the upper-left
corner of the OAA “Account Management” page (Figure 2.3).
The page will display the system(s) the user needs to access. The user will click on the
checkbox for “Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods Program – Accredited
Lab,” and then click the “Submit” button.

Figure 2.3: Update System Access

The system will display a message confirming the user’s system access was
successfully updated (Figure 2.4).

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Figure 2.4: Successful Update Message

2.2 Create an Account
If the user has not created an FIS account previously, they should click the “Create
Account” button on the “FDA Industry Systems” page (Figure 2.5).

Figure 2.5: Create Account Button

The user will be directed to the OAA “Login” page (Figure 2.6). The user can sign up for
an account by clicking the “Create New Account” button on the “FDA Industry Systems”
“OAA” page.

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Figure 2.6: FIS OAA Page

The system will display the “Create New Account” page (Figure 2.7).
Two radio buttons will display at the top of the page, “Yes” and “No”; “No” is selected by
default.
Note: The radio buttons should remain in their default state. Selecting “Yes” will direct
users to a program – which is not part of the scope of this document.
The system will display the various programs available in OAA.

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Figure 2.7: Create New Account Page

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The user will select the “Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods Program –
Accredited Lab” checkbox under “FSMA Program(s)” and click the “Continue” button to
proceed to the next step (Figure 2.8).

Figure 2.8: Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods Program – AL Link

The system will display the “Step 1a: Enter Verification Code for Account Creation”
screen. The user will receive a system-generated e-mail containing the verification
code, once the accrediting AB submits the laboratory accreditation via FURLS.
The user will enter the verification code in the field and click the “Verify” button. After the
code is verified, the user will be able to create an account for accessing the AL Portal
(Figure 2.9).

Figure 2.9: Step 1a: Enter Verification Code for Account Creation

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The system will display the “Step 2: Enter Your Account Information” section, where the
accrediting AB provided point of contact information, account information, and the
account holder’s physical address (Figure 2.10). The user may edit any of the existing
information. They must also provide additional information (i.e., passwords, secret
questions and answers, and an alternate mailing address,) if applicable.
Note: The account holder’s physical address may include a street address and/or post
office box.

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Figure 2.10: Step 2: Enter Your Account Information

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The data fields in the “Step 2A: Point of Contact Information” section include:
First Name – The first name of the Point of Contact.
Middle Initial (Optional field) – The first letter of the Point of Contact’s middle
name.
Last Name/Surname – The last name of the Point of Contact.
Job Title – The job title of the Point of Contact.
Company Name – The name of the company the Point of Contact represents.
Web Address (Optional field) – The URL of the company.
Phone Number (Country/Area/Phone Number/Extension) – The telephone
number of the Point of Contact.
o “Country” is the country code.
o “Area” is the area code.
o “Phone Number” is the phone number.
o “Extension” is the local phone extension to dial the Point of Contact, if
applicable.
Fax Number (Country/Area/Fax Number) (Optional field) – The fax number of
the Point of Contact.
o “Country” is the country code.
o “Area” is the area code.
o “Fax Number” is the fax number.
E-mail Address – The e-mail address of the Point of Contact.
Confirm E-mail Address – The re-entry of the Point of Contact’s e-mail
address.
*The entry must match the “E-mail Address” field.
The data fields in Step 2B: Account Information include:
Password – The field to create password for the AL’s account. This password
will be used every time the AL user logs into the system.
Confirm Password – The field to enter password created in the “Password”
field. The entry must match the “Password” field.
Secret Question 1 – This is the first secret question used to protect the
account. The user will select a question from the dropdown list.
Secret Answer 1 – This is the answer to the first secret question. The user will
enter the response to the question selected in “Secret Question 1”.
Secret Question 2 – The second secret question used to protect the account.
The user will select a question from the drop-down list.
Secret Answer 2 – This is the answer to the second secret question. The user
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will enter the response to the question selected in “Secret Question 2”.
Secret Question 3 – This is the third secret question used to protect the
account. The user will select a question from the dropdown list.
Secret Answer 3 – This is the answer to the third secret question. The user
will enter the response to the question selected in “Secret Question 3”.
The data fields in “Step 2C: Physical Address (Business) of Account Holder” include:
Country/Area – The country/area where the business is located. The user will
select a country/area from the drop-down list.
Address Line 1 – The address where the business is physically located. This
includes the number, street, quadrant, etc.
Address Line 2 (Optional field) – The field to enter additional information
about the physical location of the company. This may include a suite or
apartment number, if applicable.
City – The city where the business is physically located.
State/Province/Territory – The state/province/territory where the business is
physically located.
Zip Code (Postal Code) – The zip code (domestic) or postal code (foreign)
where the business is physically located.
Unique Facility Identifier (Optional field) – The firm’s DUNS number.
Do you have preferred mailing address other than the physical address
mentioned above? – The “Yes” and “No” radio buttons provided to answer this
question:
o If “No” is selected, the physical address will be used as the mailing
address.
o If “Yes” is selected, the system will display the “Step 2D: Preferred
Mailing Address,” which must be completed (Figure 2.11). The address
entered in Step 2D will be used as the mailing address.

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Figure 2.11: Step 2D: Preferred Mailing Address

After completing all of the mandatory fields, the user must click the “I understand”
checkbox and the “Continue” button at the bottom of the page. The system will display
the “Account Review” page (Figure 2.12).
The user can then click the “Submit” button to finalize the account creation or, click the
“Modify” button to edit the profile information.

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Figure 2.12: Account Review Page

When the user clicks the “Submit” button, the system will display a page with a
message stating their account was created successfully. The message will show the
account ID the user must use to log in as a LAAF AL (Figure 2.13).

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Figure 2.13: Successful Account Creation Message with Account ID

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3 Access the Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of
Foods Program – Accredited Laboratory (AL)
The user can log into the FDA “OAA” page. This is the same page used to begin the
process of creating a new OAA account (Figure 3.1).
The user will use the account ID and password from the account creation process for
the “Account ID” and “Password” fields. The user should click the “I understand”
checkbox, and then click the “Login” button.

Figure 3.1: OAA Login

Once logged into the FDA “OAA” page, the user will be prompted to enter a verification
code (Figure 3.2). The verification code will be sent to the e-mail address entered on the
“Account Information” page. If the user does not receive the verification code within ten
minutes, click “Resend verification code” on the page. Once the user has received the
code, enter it in the box labeled “Enter Verification Code,” then click the “Verify” button.
Note: Users will be prompted to enter a verification code each time they login.

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Figure 3.2: Enter Verification Code

Users will be directed to the FURLS “Account Management” page after the verification
code is verified (Figure 3.3).
The user will navigate to the “FSMA Program(s)” section of the page and click the
hyperlink for “Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods Program – Accredited
Lab”.
Note: The user should click the link to submit documentation for verification/validation
studies for the test method(s). To submit the analytical package documentation for
import-related products, click the “Import Trade Auxiliary Communication System
(ITACS)” link under the “Other FDA Systems” section.

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Figure 3.3: OAA – FURLS Account Management Page

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The system will display the “AL Home” page and the features available to the AL (Figure
3.4).

Figure 3.4: AL Home Page

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4 Submit a Commodity Specific Analytical Package
*Commodity Specific packages are those packages submitted for testing circumstances
under
.
The Analytical Package Submission feature allows the AL to perform three main
functions related to analytical packages:
Submitting test method verification/validation studies
Uploading and submitting commodity specific analytical packages to FDA*
Viewing the commodity specific analytical packages that have been submitted
to FDA
*Important: To submit the analytical package documentation for import-related
products:
If the user is logged into FURLS, they will click the “Import Trade Auxiliary
Communication System (ITACS)” link under the “Other FDA Systems” section.
If the user is already logged into the AL Portal, they will click the “FURLS Home”
link from the banner in the upper right corner of the page. The system will
navigate the user to the OAA “Account Management” page. The user will click
the “Import Trade Auxiliary Communication System (ITACS)” link under the
“Other FDA Systems” section.
To upload packages to the AL portal or view documents that have already been
submitted to FDA, the user will click the “Analytical Package Submission” link from the
navigation menu on the “AL Home” page (Figure 4.1).

Figure 4.1: Navigation Menu

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The system will display the Analytical Package Submission “Dashboard” page (Figure
4.2). Any document(s) the AL previously submitted to FDA will display in the table on
the page, grouped by AB.

Figure 4.2: Analytical Package Submission Dashboard

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The user can view the analytical packages submitted under an AB by clicking the
accordion section’s title bar (Figure 4.3).

Figure 4.3: Accordion Section’s Title Bar

The user can view additional details for previous submissions by clicking on the “View”
icon of the “Action” column of the “Dashboard” page (Figure 4.4).

Figure 4.4: View Icon

The system will display the file name, file type, date of upload, and “AB Name” for the
selected package (Figure 4.5).
The user can click on the hyperlinked document name in the “File Name” column to
download or save the document.

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Figure 4.5: Submission Details

To add a new commodity-specific analytical package, the user will click the “+ Add”
button on the “Dashboard” page (Figure 4.6).

Figure 4.6: Add Button

The system will display the “Analytical Package Submission” page (Figure 4.7).
The user can follow Steps 1 - 6 from the “Instructions” section of the page to upload
files.
The user will select the AB from the “AB Name” dropdown menu. If the AL is only
accredited by one AB, the field will be pre-filled with the AB Name. If the AL is
accredited by multiple ABs, the user should select only one AB per package
submission.

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Note: The user can click the “Previous” button at the bottom of the “Analytical Package
Submission” page to return to the “AL Home” page.

Figure 4.7: Analytical Package Submission Page

The user will select a document description from the “Type of Attachment” dropdown
menu (Figure 4.8).
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Figure 4.8: Type of Attachment Menu

A textbox labeled “Description” will display once a selection has been made from the
“Type of Attachment” list (Figure 4.9).
The user will enter a detailed description of the document type in the “Description” field,
which allows a maximum of 200 characters. The description should include the method
name as it appears on the laboratory’s scope of accreditation.
The user must enter a description in the “Additional Description” field to proceed to the
next step.

Figure 4.9: Description Field

Once the user has selected an option from the “Type of Attachment” dropdown menu,
the “Browse” button will be enabled and the user will click it. A pop-up window will
appear, prompting the user to access their file system.
The user can select one or more file attachments. The “Upload” and “Cancel” buttons
will be enabled after choosing a file (Figure 4.10). The browsing window will close.
The user can click the “Upload” button to complete the attachment upload or, click the
“Cancel” button to discard the file upload.
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Figure 4.10: Upload and Cancel Buttons

Attachments must be configured as a document type supported by the system.
Attachments should be uploaded in as few files as possible and if they are for the same
method, a designation of “1, 2, 3” or “a, b,c”.
The system supports the following document types: .pdf; .png; .jpeg; .gif; .bmp; .jpg;
.jpe; .jfif; .tif; .tiff; .doc; .docx; .ppt; .xls; .xlsx; .txt; .pptx; or .rtf.
The maximum file size allowed is 50 MB.

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Once the upload is complete, a confirmation message indicating a successful upload
will display at the top of the page (Figure 4.11).
The system will display the uploaded files in the table at the bottom of the page.

Figure 4.11: Successful Upload Message

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To remove the attachment from the table at the bottom of the page, the user can click
the “trash/delete” icon in the “Action” column (Figure 4.12).

Figure 4.12: Trash/Delete Icon

After completion of the notice, the user will click the “Next” button. The system will
navigate them to the “e-Signature” page (Figure 4.13).
The user will follow the directions provided on the “e-Signature” page, complete the
following user entry fields, then click the “Submit” button:
Checkbox (unchecked by default) – “I certify that the information in the
submission is true and accurate and that I am authorized to submit the
information to FDA.”
Name of Submitter – The first and last name of the submitter.
Title of Submitter – The title of the submitter.

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Figure 4.13: e-Signature Page

Upon successful submission, the system will post a message on the “Confirmation”
page (Figure 4.14).

Figure 4.14: Confirmation Message

The user may click the “AL Home” link on the top of the banner (or from the
breadcrumb) to return to “AL Home” page (Figure 4.15).

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Figure 4.15: Links to the AL Home Page

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5 Submit Supplemental Documentation
The “Supplemental Documentation” feature allows the user to perform two main
functions related to supplemental documents:
Uploading and submitting documents to FDA
Viewing the documents that have been submitted to FDA
To upload documents to the AL portal or view documents that have already been
submitted to FDA, the user will click the “Supplemental Documentation” link from the
navigation menu on the “AL Home” page (Figure 5.1).

Figure 5.1: Navigation Menu

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The system will display the “Supplemental Documentation” page (Figure 5.2). Any
document(s) previously submitted to FDA will display in a table at the bottom of the
page. The user can click on the hyperlinked document name in the “File Name” column
to view the document.
The user will follow Steps 1 - 5 from the “Instructions” section of the page to upload
attachments.
Note: The user can click the “Previous” button at the bottom of the “Supplemental
Documentation” page to return to the “AL Home” page.

Figure 5.2: Supplemental Documentation Page

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The user will select the AB from the “AB Name” dropdown menu.
If the AL is only accredited by one AB, the field will be pre-filled with the AB name.
The user will select a document description from the list in the “Type of Attachment”
dropdown menu (Figure 5.3).

Figure 5.3: Type of Attachment Menu

A text box labeled “Additional Description” will display if the user selected “Other” from
the list (Figure 5.4).
The user will enter a detailed description of the document type in the “Additional
Description” field, which allows a maximum of 200 characters.
Note: The user must enter a description in the “Additional Description” field to proceed
to the next step.

Figure 5.4: “Other” Attachment Type

The user will click the “Browse” button. A pop-up window will appear, prompting the
user to access their file system.
The user will select one or more file attachments. The “Upload” and “Cancel” buttons
will be enabled after a file is chosen (Figure 5.5). The system will close the browsing
window.
The user can click the “Upload” button to complete the attachment upload or, click the
“Cancel” button to discard the attachment upload.
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Figure 5.5: Upload and Cancel Buttons

Attachments must be configured as a document type supported by the system.
Note: The system supports the following document types: .pdf; .png; .jpeg; .gif; .bmp;
.jpg; .jpe; .jfif; .tif; .tiff; .doc; .docx; .ppt; .xls; .xlsx; .txt; .pptx; or .rtf.
The maximum file size allowed is 50 MB.
Once the upload is complete, a confirmation message indicating a successful upload
will display at the top of the page (Figure 5.6).
The system will display uploaded files in the table at the bottom of the page.

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Figure 5.6: Successful Upload Message

To remove the attachment from the table at the bottom of the page, the user can click
the “trash/delete” icon in the “Action” column (Figure 5.7).

Figure 5.7: Trash/Delete Icon

After the additional files have been uploaded, the user will click the “Save” button
(Figure 5.8).
**Important: Uploaded files cannot be deleted once “Save” is clicked. The user must
click the “Save” button to complete file transmissions to FDA.

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Figure 5.8: Save Attachment

Once a file has been uploaded and added to the attachments table, the file name will
become hyperlinked. If the user clicks on the hyperlinked file name, they will be
prompted to open or save the file (Figure 5.9).

Figure 5.9: Hyperlinked File Name

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6 Reports and Notifications
The “Reports and Notifications” feature allows the user to (electronically) notify FDA of
events or updates.
To access the “Reports and Notifications” feature, the user will click the “Reports and
Notifications” link from the navigation menu on the “AL Home” page (Figure 6.1).

Figure 6.1: Navigation Menu

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The system will display the “Reports and Notifications” page with the following report
and notification available (Figure 6.2):
Notice of Request for Submission of Abridged Analytical Packages –
Generates a notice to FDA when an AL submits a request for submission of
abridged import analytical packages for a food testing discipline.

Figure 6.2: Reports and Notifications Page

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6.1 Notice of Request for Submission of Abridged Analytical
Packages
To notify FDA of a request for submission of abridged import analytical packages for a
food testing discipline, the user will click the “Notice of Request for Submission of
Abridged Analytical Packages” link on the “Reports and Notifications” page (Figure 6.3).
The user may click the “Previous” button to return to the “AL Home” page.

Figure 6.3: Notice Link and Previous Button

The system will display the “Notice of Request for Submission of Abridged Analytical
Packages” page (Figure 6.4).
Note: The user can click the “Previous” button at the bottom of the notice to return to
the “AL Home” page.

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Figure 6.4: Notice of Request for Submission of Abridged Analytical Packages

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The user will select the AB from the “AB Name” dropdown menu (Figure 6.5). If the AL
is only accredited by one AB, the “AB Name” field will be pre-filled.

Figure 6.5: AB Name Menu

The user will select a testing discipline from the “Discipline” dropdown menu (Figure
6.6).
Note: One discipline may be submitted per notice.

Figure 6.6: Discipline Menu

The user will enter a detailed justification for the request in the “Reason for Request”
field (Figure 6.7). This is a free-type field which allows a maximum of 4,000 characters.

Figure 6.7: Reason for Request Field

The user can follow Steps 1 and 2 from the “Instructions” section of the page to upload
files (Figure 6.8).
The user is required to upload at least one file in order to submit the notice.
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The user will click the “Browse” button, which will be enabled by default (Figure 6.8). A
pop-up window will appear, prompting the user to access their file system.

Figure 6.8: Upload Report/Documentation Section with Browse Button Enabled

The user can select one or more file attachments. The “Upload” and “Cancel” buttons
will be enabled after choosing a file (Figure 6.9). The browsing window will close.
The user can click the “Upload” button to complete the attachment upload or, click the
“Cancel” button to discard the file upload.

Figure 6.9: Upload and Cancel Buttons

Attachments must be configured as a document type supported by the system.
The system supports the following document types: .pdf; .png; .jpeg; .gif; .bmp; .jpg;
.jpe; .jfif; .tif; .tiff; .doc; .docx; .ppt; .xls; .xlsx; .txt; .pptx; or .rtf.
The maximum file size allowed is 50 MB.

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Once the upload is complete, a confirmation message indicating a successful upload
will display at the top of the page (Figure 6.10).
The system will display the uploaded files in the table in the “Upload
Report/Documentation” section. To remove the attachment from the table, the user can
click the “trash/delete” icon in the “Action” column.

Figure 6.10: Successful Upload Message

The user may enter additional comments in the “Comments” section (Figure 6.11). This
is an optional, free-type field which allows up to 3,000 characters.

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Figure 6.11: Comments Field

After completion of the notice, the user will click the “Next” button. The system will
navigate them to the “e-Signature” page (Figure 6.12).
The user will follow the directions provided on the “e-Signature” page, complete the
following user entry fields, then click the “Submit” button:
Checkbox (unchecked by default) – “I certify that the information in the
submission is true and accurate and that I am authorized to submit the
information to FDA.”
Name of Submitter – The first and last name of the submitter.
Title of Submitter – The title of the submitter.

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Figure 6.12: e-Signature Page

Upon successful submission, the system will post a message on the “Confirmation”
page (Figure 6.13).

Figure 6.13: Confirmation Message

The user may click the “AL Home” link on the top of the banner (or from the
breadcrumb) to return to the “AL Home” page (Figure 6.14).

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Figure 6.14: Links to AL Home Page

The system will send the user an e-mail indicating the notice was received by FDA
(Figure 6.15).
Note: The image (below) only depicts the e-mail notification text.

Figure 6.15: E-mail Confirmation

The Notice of Request for Submission of Abridged Analytical Packages is subject to
approval or denial by FDA. The user will be notified by email regarding the decision.
If FDA has approved the submission, the user will receive the following notification
(Figure 6.16):

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Note: The images (below) only depict the e-mail notification subject and text.
The content are examples of the notifications. The actual testing discipline listed in the
user’s version of the notification may vary, based on the user’s submission.

Figure 6.16: Approval of Abridged Analytical Package Request Notification

If FDA has approved the notice, the status under “Approved Package Submission” on
the “Accredited Laboratory Information” page – (accessed by the “View my Profile”
feature on the main navigation menu) – will be updated from default status “Full” to
“Abridged”.
Refer to Chapter 7 “View My Profile” for more information.

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If FDA has denied the notice for the selected discipline, the user will receive the
following notification (Figure 6.17):

Figure 6.17: Denial of Abridged Analytical Package Request Notification

Following a denial decision, the user may resubmit the notice by following the same
steps listed in this chapter for submission of the notice.

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Note: If FDA had previously approved a submission for a testing discipline and then
determined that full package submission should resume, the user will receive the
following notification (Figure 6.18):

Figure 6.18: Package Status Change to Full Notification

The status of the applicable testing discipline will be updated from “Abridged” back to
“Full” on the “Accredited Laboratory Information” page.
Refer to Chapter 7 “View My Profile” for more information.

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7 View My Profile
The “View My Profile” feature allows the user to perform the following functions:
View and verify AL account information submitted during the OAA account
creation
View accreditation details
View testing method verification status
View approval status for submission of abridged or full import analytical
packages for a testing discipline
To access the “View My Profile” feature, the user will click the “View my profile” link from
the navigation menu on the “AL Home” page (Figure 7.1).

Figure 7.1: Navigation Menu

The system will display the “Accredited Laboratory Information” page, which contains
the user’s read-only profile information from OAA (Figure 7.2).
The user’s scope of accreditation is contained within the accordion section with the
name of the AB as the title. The accordion section will collapse upon navigating to the
page.

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Figure 7.2: Accredited Laboratory Information Page

The user can view the scope of their accreditation by clicking on the accordion section’s
title bar (Figure 7.3). The content of the accordion section includes the accreditation
period under the AB, verification status of each testing method, and import package
submission type allowed for each testing discipline.
The user can click the “Previous” button to return to the “AL Home” page.

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Figure 7.3: Accordion Section Content

To edit account profile information in OAA, the user may proceed to Section 7.1.
To view the verification status of a test method, the user may proceed to Section
7.2.
To view the import package submission type that is allowed for a testing
discipline, the user may proceed to Section 7.3.

7.1 Edit Account Profile
If the user wishes to edit their account profile information in OAA, they may click the
“Edit Profile” button from the bottom of the “Accredited Laboratory Information” page
(Figure 7.4).

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Figure 7.4: Edit Profile Button

The system will display the “Edit Account Profile” page of Account Management (Figure
7.5). All of the fields will be editable.
If the user wishes to discard any changes and return to the main OAA page, they should
click the “Cancel” button.
Once the user has completed all updates, they will click the “Continue” button at the
bottom of the page.
Note: If the user clicks the “Clear” button, all of the account information on the page will
be cleared. To restore account information, the user should click the “Cancel” button
and navigate back to the OAA “Account Management” page.

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Figure 7.5: Edit Account Profile Page

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The system will display the “Edit Account Profile” page as read-only for the user to
review.
If the user would like to make additional changes, they will click the “Modify” button.
Once all changes have been completed, the user will click the “Submit” button (Figure
7.6).

Figure 7.6: Edit Account Profile – Read-Only View

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The system will display a confirmation message stating the submission was successful
(Figure 7.7). The user can click the “Continue” button to navigate back to “Laboratory
Accreditation for Analyses of Foods – Accredited Laboratory”.

Figure 7.7: Successful Account Profile Update Message

7.2 View the Verification Status of a Test Method
The user can expand the accordion section to view the list of test methods and their
statuses as “Verified” or “Not Verified” under the “Test Methods for which you have
been accredited” table (Figure 7.8).
The default status of a test method is “Not Verified”.
If a test method has been verified by FDA, it will display as “Verified” in the “Status”
column of the table. The user will be able to submit analyses to FDA for the “Verified”
test method.
If a test method has not yet been verified, or it has been reverted back by FDA from
previous “Verified” status, it will display as “Not Verified” in the “Status” column.

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Figure 7.8: Test Methods for Which You Have Been Accredited Table

The user will receive a notification for “Verified” (Figure 7.9) and “Not Verified” testing
methods (Figure 7.10).
Note: The images (below) only depict the e-mail notification subject and text.
The content are examples of the notifications; the actual testing method listed in the
user’s version of the notifications may vary.

Figure 7.9: Notification of Testing Method Status – Verified

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Figure 7.10: Notification of Testing Method Status – Not Verified

7.3 View Package Submission Allowed for a Testing
Discipline
To view the approval status for submission of abridged or full import analytical
packages for a testing discipline, the user may go to the “Package Submission Allowed
for the following testing discipline(s)” portion of the accordion section (Figure 7.11).
The status under the “Approved Package Submission” column will default as “Full”.
If the user has submitted the Notice of Request for Submission of Abridged Analytical
Packages for a testing discipline and it has been approved by FDA, it will display as
“Abridged” for that testing discipline in the “Approved Package Submission” column.
If FDA determines the user should resume full import analytical package submission for
a discipline, the user will receive a notification and the status will change from
“Abridged” to “Full”.
The user may resubmit the Notice of Request for Submission of Abridged Analytical
Packages for the testing discipline that has been reverted from “Abridged” to “Full,” if
appropriate.

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Figure 7.11: Approved Package Submission Status

Refer to Chapter 6 “Reports and Notifications” for instructions for submission of the
Notice of Request for Submission of Abridged Analytical Packages.

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8 Contact Us
The “Contact Us” feature allows the user to contact the LAAF program by email.
To access the feature, the user will click the “Contact Us” link from the navigation menu
on the “AL Home” page (Figure 8.1).

Figure 8.1: Navigation Menu

The system will display the “Contact Us” page in an email template format, with a
“Subject” field allowing up to 150 characters and a “Message” field up to 4,000
characters (Figure 8.2). Once the user has completed the “Subject” and “Message”
fields, they will click the “Send” button to send the email.

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Figure 8.2: Contact Us Page

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The system will display a confirmation message on the “AL Home” page, stating the
message has been sent (Figure 8.3).

Figure 8.3: Email Sent Successfully

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APPENDIX
Abbreviations
Abbreviation Acronym Description
AB

Recognized Accreditation Body

AL

LAAF Accredited Laboratory

CFSAN

Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

FDA

U.S. Food and Drug Administration

ITACS

Import Trade Auxiliary Communication System

LAAF

Laboratory Accreditation for Analyses of Foods

OAA

Online Account Administration

ORA

Office of Regulatory Affairs

Icon Behavior
Standardized icons are used throughout the system. Each icon performs a specific
system function. The icon description and system function are described below:
Icon Description
Magnifying Glass

Icon

System Function
View the associated item

Pencil

Edit the associated item

Trash Can

Delete the associated item

Printer

Print the associated item

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