Path C Colorado Produce Safety Cooperative Agreement to Implement a National Produce Safety Program

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Colorado Department of Agriculture Program Summary The goal of Colorado’s Produce Safety Program is to improve produce safety in a historically unregulated industry and to provide consumers with safe, nutritious produce grown, harvested, packed or held in Colorado. To achieve the goal the Program will collaborate with the FDA and utilize both the regulatory and educational fronts to achieve compliance with the Rule. The Program will utilize staff dedicated directly to the Produce Safety Program’s administration as well as administrative and inspection staff shared within the Inspection and Consumer Services Division. This seasonal use of permanent staff will allow the Program to retain more field staff trained to conduct inspections which primarily occur over a three month period. To address the educational needs the Program will work with Colorado State University (CSU) to conduct PSA Grower Training and do On-Farm Readiness Reviews under a sub award with the CO Department of Agriculture. The Program will also develop relationships with trade groups, and key industry stakeholders to increase awareness to the Produce Safety Rule. Colorado passed legislation and adopted rules consistent with the Federal Rule including the authority to conduct inspections, so long as sufficient funding to support the program was provided by the FDA. The legislation also provided the program with the authority to establish a mandatory registration program and administer civil penalties. We believe that achieving a high rate of compliance can be achieved through development of strong industry partnerships, education and regulatory enforcement. Utilizing FDA resources in a collaborative manner along with expertise within the state to address the unique produce landscape of Colorado’s industry will result in a Program that is consistent with the objectives of the Produce Safety Rule and a consistent National Produce Safety Program. To achieve this goal Colorado is requesting Path C Regulatory funding of $253,500 Band 9 based on our Farm Inventory and $270,000 for Farm Inventory and Education Band 6 based on 2017 NASS data for a total of $523,500 for the first year of the cooperative agreement.