FDA Awards More Than $11 Million To California For Food Safety 

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) was recently awarded $11.7 million for state-level implementation of the Produce Safety Rule under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). This comes after the recent FDA announcement to invest $21.8 million in 42 states.

To secure the five-year funding opportunity, states were asked to submit implementation proposals tailored to their jurisdiction’s needs.

CDFA’s proposal considered all necessary resources required of California’s diverse produce industry, along with consideration for the state’s various production and packing operations. The plan to implement an enhanced produce safety system emphasizes the following:

• Education, Outreach, and Technical Assistance;
  • Inspectional Program Development;
  • Infrastructure Development;
  • Collaboration with Federal, State, and Territory Regulatory Entities;
  • Annual Work Plan Development; and
  • Continued training of Regulatory Body.