The Kansas Department of Agriculture's Maintenance of Human and Animal Food Rapid Response Team

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Project Summary Summary of Proposed Activity The Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) will collaborate with Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and FDA to continue maintenance of a Human and Animal Food Rapid Response Team for all scales of food and feed emergencies. The Kansas RRT will have the combined expertise and resources of subject matter experts across multiple agencies and departments, leading to a multidisciplinary approach that facilitates a coordinated, efficient, and effective response. The RRT cooperative agreement will allow the Kansas RRT to efficiently maintain the progress it has made in efficiently responding to food-related emergencies long-term. The mission of the Kansas RRT is to effectively respond to foodborne outbreaks and identify potential preventative practices to protect the food supply and consumer health nationally and globally as part of a fully integrated food safety system. Statement of Objectives, Long-Term Goals, and Methods to be Employed The Kansas RRT is made up of core members from the Kansas Department of Agriculture Divisions of Food Safety & Lodging and Dairy & Feed Safety, Kansas Department of Agriculture Emergency Management, Kansas Department of Agriculture Laboratory, Kansas Department of Health and Environment Bureau of Epidemiology and Public Health Informatics (KDHE Epi), and FDA. Representatives from the Kansas RRT will meet bi-weekly with FDA partners from the HAF-2W division to discuss updates, progress, and obstacles the team is facing. The Kansas RRT will work on a day-to-day capacity to coordinate with KDHE Epi to receive and respond to foodborne illness outbreak complaints with action and education. As other food- or feed-related emergencies arise, the RRT has the expertise and capacity to stand up an Incident Management Team with a Unified Command structure to respond to disasters. The Kansas RRT will develop a steering committee that will meet internally on a to-be- determined frequency to discuss resource needs for RRT maintenance, RRT training plans, and stay abreast of pressing updates relevant to the team. In total, the Kansas RRT will operate with the goal of protecting public health in mind by implementing strategies of continuous improvement to maintaining and enhancing a robust all-hazards food and feed protection program in collaboration with state and FDA partners.