Implementation of the Produce Safety Rule in Mississippi to Enhance Safety in Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Storing Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

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Project Abstract The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) proposes this project to implement the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule. MDAC is seeking funding support for personnel, travel, training, equipment, and supply costs needed to implement a comprehensive and integrated produce safety system. Achieving alignment with the Produce Safety Rule will require comprehensive assessments by MDAC, and new levels of cooperation between MDAC and our state’s land grant universities, Mississippi State University and Alcorn State University. The activities that must take place to reach this alignment will not occur without significant and sustained financial obligations. The outcome of these activities will be a successfully developed, multi-faceted administrative program(s) in support of the Produce Safety Rule. To date, the Mississippi State Legislature has not obligated monies for the development of a Produce Safety Department within the MDAC, and the goals set forth in this application will not be achieved without funding secured through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. To align itself with reaching the goals of the Produce Safety Rule within five years, the MDAC Regulatory Services Bureau intends to expand by creating a new Produce Safety Division through the funding provided by Competition A. One Produce Safety Manager will be hired to oversee one Outreach Coordinator, two Outreach Specialists, and work directly as the liaison with other agencies and universities to accomplish the goals of the project. The Produce Safety Manager will manage all programmatic activities related to alignment with the PSR, including but not limited to the development of a Strategic Action Plan, stakeholder communications, educational outreach to industry, audit assistance, enforcement support, and the development of the Mississippi Farm Inventory. The Outreach Coordinator will be responsible for educational activities, on-farm assessments, data collection for the inventory, and training the MDAC regulatory inspectors, with assistance provided by the two Outreach Specialists. In addition to the above mentioned full-time employees, funding received from Competition B will enable an expansion of the MDAC regulatory staff by hiring one Produce Regulatory Supervisor, and eventually three Produce Regulatory Inspectors.