NASDA Members Praise FDA For Produce Safety Funding, Coordinate Implementation At National Conference

Members of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) today praised the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for their recent Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for states and territories to support the proper implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule.

“By providing up to $19M in funding for state Produce Safety programs, FDA is recognizing the value of the states’ involvement in the implementation of FSMA. The preventive approach Congress established in the law requires that we educate before – and while – we regulate. This investment will move us closer to the goal of an Integrated Food Safety System.” said NASDA CEO Dr. Barbara P. Glenn.

NASDA and FDA entered into a cooperative agreement in 2014 and have been working together on implementation strategy in preparation for FSMA implementation funds coming available. As a part of the cooperative effort NASDA has developed a proposed NASDA Model Produce Safety Implementation Framework for states to consider as they contemplate the implementation of the Produce Safety rule.

Coincidentally, NASDA is hosting a FSMA Produce Safety National State Agency Planning Meeting next week. The meeting attendees, state agriculture and health officials and their FDA counterparts, will review and discuss the Framework. The goal of the meeting is to provide strategic guidance for state’s contemplating the development of a produce safety regulatory program.

“We have been working diligently toward a coordinated, consistent program at the state level. Funding has been a missing piece and now the pieces are falling into place,” said NASDA’s Barb Glenn.

“Left to each states individual devises, we realize that many models would likely be developed to reach our new national outcome of an integrated and preventive food safety system. Using the NASDA Framework as a guide, it is our hope that states will be able to focus on alignment and consistency amongst state partners. This should result in consistent education, outreach and technical assistance efforts; uniform compliance and enforcement programs; and stable infrastructure development. NASDA’s document provides our members with the essential components to administer successful preventive food safety programs,’ indicated Dr. Glenn.

NASDA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit association which represents the elected and appointed commissioners, secretaries, and directors of the departments of agriculture in all fifty states and four U.S. territories.  NASDA grows and enhances agriculture by forging partnerships and creating consensus to achieve sound policy outcomes between state departments of agriculture, the federal government, and stakeholders.

Source: National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA)