AMERICAN SAMOA FOOD SAFETY PROGRAM

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACTTo minimize the risk of serious adverse health consequences or death from consumption ofcontaminated produce, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has established science-based minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of produce,meaning fruits and vegetables grown for human consumption. FDA is establishing thesestandards as part of the implementation of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act, whichwas signed into law in 2011.The purpose of American Samoa Food Safety Program (ASFSP) is to advance efforts for aterritorial integrated food safety system through the planning, establishment, and/orenhancement of American Samoa's Produce Safety Programs such that we encourage thesafe production of fresh fruits and vegetables and to promote understanding and compliancewith the requirements of FDA's Regulation ?Standards for the Growing, Harvesting,Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption? (commonly referred to as theProduce Safety Rule). The territory at present does not have a comprehensive food safetyprogram.Every year, 1 in 6 Americans get sick due to foodborne diseases. Several high-profileoutbreaks related to various foods have captured headlines across the country over recentyears. At the local level, American Samoa has experienced its fair share of concerns withfood safety, most recently with locally grown bok choy being found to have chemicalresidues that exceed allowable levels and traces of E.coli bacteria. These concerns haveunderscored the need to make improvements to our food safety systems.To address the issue of food safety in American Samoa, the American Samoa GovernmentDepartment of Agriculture (ASG DOA), along with other key stakeholders such as AmericanSamoa Community College Department of Agriculture Community and Natural Resources(ASCC-ACNR) or Land Grant program, American Samoa Government Department of Health(ASG DOH), American Samoa Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA) , and others,propose to develop a science-based system that addresses hazards from the ?farm to thefork?, with a process of continuous improvement built into the system so as to prevent foodcontamination.