Coordinating Educational Efforts For Minnesota's Food Safety and Protection Task

Project AbstractThe Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA) is announcing theavailability of up to $10,000 for five years to be awarded under the support for Conferences andScientific meetings to Food Protection Task Forces.The Food Protection Task Force allows states to organize meetings to foster communication,cooperation, and collaboration within the State among State, local, tribal, and territorial foodprotection, public health, agriculture, and regulatory agencies. The meetings include: providing a forumfor all stakeholder's of the food protection system; assisting in adopting or implementing the Food Codeand other food protection regulations; and promoting the integration of an efficient statewide foodsafety/defense system that maximizes the protection of public health through prevention, interventionand response including the early detection and contamination of foodborne illness.The Minnesota Food Safety and Defense Task Force meet five to eight times each year. The groupcomprised of 16 members consisting of the Commissioner of Agriculture, the Commissioner of Health,representatives of the Food and Drug Administration, and the United States Department of Agriculture,the University of Minnesota, the Minnesota Farm Bureau, and nine additional members representingthe public and food and agriculture industries and groups. During task force meetings, presentation aremade by knowledgeable speakers on current topics in food safety and defense including, FoodProtection Rapid Response Team, Food and Agriculture Sector Criticality Tool (FASCAT), ManufacturingRetail Food Program Standards, PetNET, FDA Reportable Food Registry, Food Safety Modernization Act,and touring the City of Minneapolis' Emergency Preparedness Training Center. The Task Force hassponsored one or two conferences or workshops each year since 2000 focusing on current food safetyor defense issues and concerns.The Minnesota Food Safety and Defense Task Force, as part of this application, will maintain meeting ona quarterly basis and sponsoring workshops, trainings, or conferences for stakeholders. The applicationdescribes the meeting plan for the next five years detailing a wide variety of topics and outreach tovarious food safety and protection audiences.