Path B Florida Produce Safety Cooperative Agreement Program for 2021-2026

Project Summary/Abstract The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), through the Division of Fruit and Vegetables (DFV), will be responsible for administering a comprehensive Produce Safety Program to promote the safe production of fresh fruit and vegetables and promote compliance with the requirements of FDA’s Regulation “Standards for Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption”. The DFV has worked diligently to develop a produce safety program that has provided education to Florida’s Agriculture Industry to help prevent food borne illness outbreaks and promote good agricultural practices. Over the next five years, the DFV will focus on furthering education and outreach activities to covered farms directly impacted by the PSR, providing technical assistance through On-Farm Readiness Reviews (OFRR), compiling a verified farm inventory, and performing inspections to ensure compliance with the PSR. The DFV expects to have a well-defined inventory and will plan to educate and provide technical assistance to the majority of the covered farms in the State of Florida by the end of the project period. The DFV also intends to provide at least one routine inspection to all covered farms by the end of the project period and perform follow-up inspections as needed. By choosing Program Path B, the DFV will continue to conduct produce safety inspections under FDA’s authority. The DFV will provide its team members with training opportunities to ensure they have the appropriate knowledge and skill set necessary to perform their job. The DFV will develop and implement a succession plan. A vetted succession plan will ensure Florida’s Produce Safety Program will continue to run effectively and efficiently with minimal interruptions. The DFV will establish more unified, defined internal procedures for the preliminary review of inspection documentation. The DFV will create written procedures to conduct response activities, establish Memorandums of Understanding (or other formal documents) with internal/relevant agencies and create a Rapid Response Team if needed. By documenting a plan, the DFV will be able to effectively collaborate with FDA to identify, coordinate and implement response activities.