A Coordinated National Approach to Supporting, Promoting, and Implementing FDA's Produce Safety Rule and the Produce Regulatory Program Standards

PROJECT SUMMARY Since establishing a multi-state Technical Working Group in 2013, the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) has been working with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), states, and territories to implement the Produce Safety Rule (21 CFR Part 112) as authorized under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). In response to RFA-FD-24-012, NASDA will continue building on the achievements under previous cooperative agreements to meet emerging needs identified by FDA, states, and territories. The NASDA project entitled A Coordinated National Approach to Supporting, Promoting, and Implementing FDA's Produce Safety Rule and the Produce Regulatory Program Standards will continue building on three important objectives:  Objective 1: Supporting the efforts of federal, state, and territorial government agencies in building a Produce Safety Integrated Food Safety System.  Objective 2: Supporting and expanding established systems for sharing, promoting, and collaborating on best practices, operating documents, procedures, and other tools to foster a consistent national produce safety program.  Objective 3: Supporting the maintenance and advancement of the Produce Regulatory Program Standards (PRPS). These three objectives will support FDA's goal of developing, implementing, and improving a nationally consistent support system which facilitates the implementation of state and territorial produce safety regulatory programs that are modernized and aligned with the standards set forth in the FDA's rule: Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption (commonly referred to as the Produce Safety Rule). The proposed collaborative assistance offered to state and territorial produce safety regulatory programs will improve their effectiveness and enhance their capabilities. Other expected outcomes include promotion of a broad understanding of the Produce Safety Rule, greater levels of industry compliance with the Produce Safety Rule's requirements, and ultimately better protection for consumers from foodborne illness.