Food Protection Rapid Response Team (rrt) (u18)

The primary goal of Michigan's Rapid Response Team (RRT) is to further develop theintegrated strategy for sustained, multi-disciplinary, and replicable regional protection ofthe food, feed and related agricultural infrastructure existing in Michigan. Over the firsteight years of the RRT effort, Michigan has greatly improved our rapid responsecapabilities and strengthened our programmatic infrastructure through development ofplans and procedures as well training, exercising, real world responses, and workingthrough the Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards (MFRPS) process.Michigan has made tremendous progress particularly in the areas of coordination withstate and local public health agencies and in feed safety.Michigan, both a border state and home of the second busiest truck border crossingpoint in the nation, faces special challenges across the food, feed and agriculture supplychain from the volume of goods coming into the State. The vulnerabilities to foodsafety-whether the introduction is intentional or accidental-continue to grow asinternational commerce increases.During this grant period, the Michigan RRT will continue to:1. Improve rapid response capabilities, using the RRT concept, in collaboration with the FDA Detroit District Office, for safety and laboratory programs for both food and feed.2. Continue using a de-centralized RRT structure to disseminate and integrate RRT best practices and MDARD specific SOPs within the MDARD Food Inspection, Commercial Feed and Laboratory programs. This includes providing role- appropriate training in support of plans and procedures with both MDARD and FDA Detroit District Office staff.3. Continue to work with Pennsylvania, Indiana, and other RRT and non-RRT states to help develop and replicate the RRT successes.4. Increase activities to better engage front line field staff and local health department staff in Michigan RRT responses and activations.