FDA-DRUG RESIDUE COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT PROGRAM (U18)

Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship (IDALS) Project Summary/Abstract Drug Residue Prevention Program (U18)Given the large impact of Iowa's feed manufacturing industry, providing information througheducation about the prevention of drug residue based on the scientific principles of feed/foodsafety is paramount to protecting Iowans and consumers throughout the nation and world. Ourability to follow up on residue violations and work side by side with the producer to find asolution is value added to the supply chain.Furthermore, the President has provided a significant level of focus on food safety nationally ashas Congress with the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). Similarly, withinIowa we have found an added interest in food safety.Speaking to groups to provide information through education is a large part of what our Bureauhas identified to be successful with the FDA Drug Residue Cooperative Agreement Program.Initially the Bureau will restructure duties of existing staff to allow us time to evaluate if a newstaff person is needed to assist in this area.We will continue to update and educate our inspectors about the prevention of drug resides. Wewill develop drug residue prevention material that will include a survey which our inspectors willhand out at all of our 500+ inspections throughout the year.Our inspectors will be properly trained so they can answer any questions that they may receive.We will enhance, and make available, the existing pamphlets that are already being used by theAnimal Industry Bureau as well as create our own. We will make sure the information can berelayed to the public in a manner than can be understood.We will make available the drug residue materials at select fairs as well as being involved withmailings. We will record the event/webinar of a training seminar and post it onto a designatedDrug Residue Prevention webpage so it can be available to anyone at any time. The recordedseminar along with the informational pamphlets will be posted on our website so they will beavailable to everyone. The material will continue to be available after the end of the agreement.The objective of this agreement is intended to ensure that IDALS enhances our drug residueprevention program to protect consumer exposure to drug residues in the edible products offood animals. This will be achieved by educating laypersons and practitioners of the risks ofdrug residues and providing them methods of prevention. Following up on past violations willalso enable the future producers/manufacturers to gain knowledge that will assist in theprevention of the violation from occurring again. These steps IDALS will be taking willsignificantly enhance the quality of food sold in and from Iowa.