Continued Implementation and Maintenance of the Manufactured Foods Regulatory Program Standards and Food Protection Task Force by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture

Project Summary/Abstract The South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) has achieved full implementation and full conformance with the ten (10) standards of the Manufactured Foods Regulatory Program Standards (MFRPS) as noted in the August 8-9, 2022, interval assessment by FDA. These standards establish requirements for the critical elements of a regulatory program designed to protect the public from foodborne illness and injury. These elements include the program’s regulatory foundation, staff training, inspection, quality assurance, food defense preparedness and response, foodborne illness and incident investigation, enforcement, education and outreach, resource management, laboratory resources, and program assessment. Each standard contains a purpose statement, requirement summary, description of program elements, projected outcomes, and a list of required documentation. With funding from RFA- FD-23-027, over the next three years, the MFRPS staff will continue to maintain all ten standards.