Oklahoma Cooperative Agreement to Enhance Produce Safety in Preparation of Implementation of Fda's Rule: Standards For The Growing, Harvesting, Packing, & Holding of Produce For Human Consumption

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY NUMBER PAR-16-137OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD, AND FORESTRY PROJECT SUMMARYThe Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry proposes to establish aState Produce Safety Program to encourage the safe production of fresh fruits andvegetables and to promote compliance with the requirements of FDA's Regulation"Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for HumanConsumption" (commonly referred to as the Produce Safety Rule). In order toaccomplish this goal, we plan to: assess our produce landscape, with a focus uponproduce covered under the Produce Rule and to determine the necessary size andscope of our Produce Safety Program; establish a process to develop and maintain aproduce farm inventory; provide resources for, and invest in, the program'sinfrastructure; develop specific mechanisms to coordinate with other regulatoryagencies for produce safety activities; formulate a multi-year plan to implement theproduce safety system; develop a performance measurement system using analyticalprocesses including quantitative and qualitative data; evaluate the need for newproduce legislative or regulatory authority; develop and provide education, outreach,and technical assistance to farming operations and jurisdictional produce safetyregulators; and design and implement a compliance program for applicable producesafety regulations at the jurisdictional level. The accomplishment of this goal willadvance efforts for a nationally integrated food safety system by having the stateproduce safety program align with the FDA produce safety program. The funds that aremade available through this cooperative agreement will allow our agency to implementmulti-year, strategic plans to ensure continuous improvement and to demonstrate thatwe are moving towards the goals of improved produce safety and high rates ofcompliance with the Produce Safety Rule. Without the funds being made availablethrough this funding opportunity our agency would be unable to undertake any part ofattaining this goal.