Implementation of FDA Produce Safety Rule in Hawaii

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Hawaii Produce Safety Program PAR-21-174: The FDA's Cooperative Agreement Program for States and Territories to Implement a National Produce Safety Program Project Period: July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2026 Project Summary In Project Years 1 and 2, our Program will continue along PATH A, to advance Produce Safety Rule related education, outreach, and technical assistance activities for Hawaii covered produce growers. An Education and Outreach Specialist will be hired to expand our services capacity. Our Program will build upon a robust Farm Inventory database by following our maintenance SOP to conduct surveys, interviews, and web-based data research. Through the Farm Inventory tool our Program identifies growers interested in PSA Grower Training Courses and On Farm Readiness Reviews. Key collaborations with partners like the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service, PSA, FDA, other state produce safety programs, other Hawaii departments and NGO’s enhance our ability to serve growers. Our outreach efforts include translated material development and bilingual translators to teach growers with limited English proficiency about the Produce Safety Rule. Our transition to PATH B begins in Year 3 with the implementation of regulatory and inspection plans under FDA’s authority. A Produce Safety Inspector will be hired to conduct inspections and assist with compliance and enforcement procedures that align with FDA’s Standardized Approach to Produce Farm Inspections. In Year 3, our Program leadership anticipates a transition of fiscal and human resource administration from the Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. This structural change will provide our staff greater authority as certified HDOA employees to serve growers and execute regulatory actions. In Year 4 of our Program’s PATH B efforts, we will assess conducting sprout inspections.