Path C AZDA- Produce Safety Rule Program

Arizona Department of Agriculture Project Summary This Arizona Department of Agriculture (AZDA) project entitled Arizona Produce Safety Rule Implementation, is intended to facilitate long-term improvement to the national food safety system. The overall purpose of the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA): PAR-21-174 is to advance the efforts for a nationally integrated food safety system (IFSS) by supporting state and territory food safety programs to enhance produce safety and achieve high rates of compliance with the FDA's Produce Safety Rule by way of regulatory programs focused on quality and national consistency. Furthermore, data gathered through the Produce Safety Rule Cooperative Agreement will provide the FDA with additional and accurate information on production that will ensure better management of the Produce Safety Rule (PSR), in addition to providing better outreach to those that will have to comply with the regulatory mandates. Through the previous funding opportunity, the Arizona Department of Agriculture (AZDA) received its PSR inspection authority (A.R.S. § 3-525.04 - https://www.azleg.gov/arsDetail/?title=3) and then developed Administrative Rules (https://apps.azsos.gov/public_services/Title_03/3-10.pdf) which adopted the Produce Safety Rule, allowing staff to conduct produce safety inspections under our own authority. The overarching goal of the program is to protect public health through the safe production of fresh fruits and vegetables. Minimizing the risks of pathogen contamination is key to preventing foodborne illnesses. As we strive to meet the goals in each of the 7 objectives, we are confident that we will achieve the overarching goal of the PSR. We will continue to leverage existing expertise, knowledge and resources in our state to provide education, training, and technical assistance to all produce farms.