ESQM conformance with the Egg Regulatory Program Standards

Project Summary RFA-FD-25-021 The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) supports the Egg Safety and Quality Management (ESQM) program which is well positioned to participate in the Egg Regulatory Program Standards (ERPS) implementation. The ESQM program was in the unique position of being involved in the initial development of the ERPS, cooperatively, along with Iowa and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This two-plus year continuation with ERPS allows ESQM an excellent opportunity to continue conformance and expand the work, while maintaining consistency and enhancing the food safety and quality consumer product goals and missions of CDFA and ESQM. In congruity with the FDA’s desired outcomes under this Cooperative Agreement, ESQM is dedicated to achieving full conformance with the ERPS. ESQM’s goals are to build on the ESQM regulatory foundation, contribute to the improvement of the ERPS, strengthen a foundation for pursuing regulatory actions, improve the ESQM outreach and education for egg producers and maintain a commitment to complete compliance and integration of the ERPS. Through this funding opportunity, ESQM Senior Environmental Scientist Specialist and Environmental Scientists will continue to work to achieve full conformance of all ERPS Standards. Additionally, these goals also target further improvement and promotion of the ERPS as a national integrated food safety system.