Expanding Minnesota's Rapid Response Team through Outreach, Engagement, and Enhancements

Minnesota RRT Project Summary/Abstract The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) Rapid Response Team (RRT) is eligible to apply for this Cooperative Agreement under Level III of the RRT Maintenance Track. The MDA RRT has received funding since the program’s inception and is in full conformance with the FDA Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards (MFRPS) and has a 20.88 agreement in place with FDA. The mission of the MDA is to enhance Minnesotans’ quality of life by ensuring the integrity of our food supply, the health of our environment, and the strength of our agricultural economy. The MDA RRT coordinates closely with federal, state, and local agencies to respond to outbreaks, contamination events, or other incidents which may affect the safety of the human food or animal feed supply. While the RRT is housed within the MDA, RRT staff work closely with environmental health staff and epidemiologists at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) who serve as leads and subject matter experts during human illness outbreaks. Continuation of this funding will allow MDA to continue the efforts and initiatives started during the last five-year Flexible Funding Model grant cycle. During the next three-year funding period, the MDA Rapid Response Team will work on a number of objectives and deliverables described in the Research Strategy including an annual exercise and After-Action Review with non- traditional partners, continued conformance with Standard 5, contributions to the annual Midwest Regional RRT Meeting, a Live Animal Market training and procedure development, industry-focused pesticide drift data analysis, a shopper history impact project, and yearly RRT trainings focused on specific program areas to build capacity and sustainability. The MDA RRT will also continue to contribute nationally as a mentor to the WI RRT, a mentor to the GA RRT Coordinator, a member of the RRT Advisory Committee, and an active contributor when there are updates to the RRT Manual or CAT data. Members of the MDA RRT will also continue to participate in a variety of national workgroups and associations including the Shopper History Outbreak Partnership (SHOP), Partnership for Food Protection (PFP), and the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO).