Narrator:        This is Science Today. Eight laboratories in the country are federally funded to be part of the Food Emergency Response Network, or FERN, program. The California Animal Health and Food Safety Program at the University of California, Davis is one of these labs.

Poppenga:       And we are the only veterinary laboratory that has been funded by the FDA to be part of the FERN program. And this is a network of laboratories that's designed to respond to problems with our food in terms of chemical contaminants.

Narrator:        Veterinary clinical toxicologist Robert Poppenga says last year the lab discovered a deadly duo of chemicals in pet food that caused the deaths of dozens of dogs and cats and resulted in a nationwide pet food recall.

Poppenga:       Not only was this the laboratory that was one of the first ones to find the melamine and the cyanuric acid, we were available for veterinarians and pet owners to submit the food for testing. We were able to conduct a relatively quick study to show that indeed it was the combination of the two chemicals that were causing the problems. 

Narrator:        For Science Today, I'm Larissa Branin.