(a) Food testing must be conducted under this subpart whenever such testing is conducted by or on behalf of an owner or consignee:

(1) In response to explicit testing requirements that address an identified or suspected food safety problem, which are contained in the following provisions:

(i) Sprouts. Section 112.146(a), (c), and (d) of this chapter;

(ii) Shell eggs. Sections 118.4(a)(2)(iii), 118.5(a)(2)(ii) and (b)(2)(ii), and 118.6(a)(2) and (e) of this chapter; and

(iii) Bottled drinking water. Section 129.35(a)(3)(i) of this chapter (for the requirement to test five samples from the same sampling site that originally tested positive for Escherichia coli);

(2) As required by FDA in a directed food laboratory order issued under § 1.1108;

(3) To address an identified or suspected food safety problem and presented to FDA as part of evidence for a hearing under section 423(c) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act prior to the issuance of a mandatory food recall order, as part of a corrective action plan under section 415(b)(3)(A) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act submitted after an order suspending the registration of a food facility, or as part of evidence submitted for an appeal of an administrative detention order under section 304(h)(4)(A) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

(4) In support of admission of an article of food under section 801(a) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act; and

(5) To support removal from an import alert through successful consecutive testing.

(b) When food testing is conducted under paragraph (a) of this section, analysis of samples must be conducted by a laboratory that is LAAF-accredited for the appropriate analytical method by a recognized accreditation body under this subpart.

(c) Food testing conducted on articles of food offered for import into the United States under section 801(a) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act pursuant to paragraph (a)(4) or (a)(5) of this section may only be conducted after the articles offered for import have arrived in the United States unless the owner or consignee has written approval from FDA that a sample taken prior to arrival is or would be a representative sample of the article offered for import into the United States.