DESIGNING WISCONSIN’S PROGRAM FOR IMPLEMENTING THE FDA PRODUCE SAFETY RULE

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PROJECT SUMMARY Project Title: Designing Wisconsin’s Program for Implementing the FDA Produce Safety Rule Project Background: Outbreaks of illness caused by consumption of fruits and vegetables (produce) contaminated with disease-causing microorganisms have a measurable and important negative effect on public health in the US, due to costs of medical treatment, loss of productivity, and, in too many instances, mortality. The FDA has promulgated a Produce Safety Rule intended to foster the implementation of preventive measures that reduce the likelihood of microbial contamination throughout the produce industry. Broad compliance with this rule will require education, outreach, technical assistance, inspection, and enforcement activities beyond the scope of existing FDA programs. State food safety regulatory agencies can assist the FDA in this public health initiative by leveraging existing programmatic resources to create state-run produce safety regulatory programs. Project Goals: The proposed project will establish Wisconsin’s produce safety regulatory program to implement the FDA Produce Safety Rule. Project personnel will: 1) conduct legislative research to determine how to establish a statutory and regulatory foundation for program activities, 2) perform a jurisdictional self-assessment to determine available and needed resources, 3) develop a dynamic inventory of produce farms in Wisconsin that are subject to the Produce Safety Rule, 4) create educational, outreach, and technical assistance programs to guide grower compliance, and 5)develop the infrastructure, along with inspection and compliance procedures, necessary to implement a fair, effective, efficient, and sustainable produce safety regulatory program.