Food Protection Rapid Response Team and Program Infrastructure Improvement Implementation Project (U18)Proposal AbstractThe Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) seeks funding from the U.S. Food andDrug Administration (FDA) under RFA-FD-12-014. Funding level requested is $500,000. The titleof our proposal is:Washington State RRT Continuation ProjectAfter three years of intense work by the WSDA Rapid Response Program, Food Safety Program,Microbiology Laboratory, and the Office of Compliance and Outreach, along with our partners atthe FDA Seattle District Office and other important statewide stakeholders, we have achievedsignificant progress in achieving the three primary goals of the project: 1. A joint FDA/WSDA food and feed emergency Rapid Response Team (RRT) has been created. 2. All of the above-referenced WSDA programs have made important progress toward implementation of the FDA's Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards (MFRPS). 3. Through the creation of our first draft statewide Food Emergency Response Plan (FERP), the state has made great improvements in internal and external emergency communication and coordination.WSDA intends to take the opportunity provided by this RFA to continue this successful effort by: 1. Further developing the RRT by improving upon the draft Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), conducting joint training, conducting an exercise, and completing after-action reports with improvement plans. 2. Making additional progress toward our goal of implementing all 10 MFRPS. 3. Providing additional input and assistance in the national effort to develop an RRT Best Practices Manual. 4. Improving the FERP and ensuring that it is integrated into the state's Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan (CEMP). We will also continue to develop the state's Food Protection Task Force (FPTF).The WSDA Food Safety and Consumer Services Division meets all eligibility requirements for thisfunding opportunity: We are the state's manufactured food regulatory program We have a current FDA food safety inspection contract We are currently receiving funding under the Food Protection Rapid Response Team and Program Infrastructure Improvement Prototype Projects cooperative agreement program (PA-09-183).Additionally, the WSDA Food Safety Program is enrolled in the FDA MFRPS.WSDA Food Safety and Consumer Services Division is eager to partner with FDA and otherpartners, in order to protect the public's health from food borne illnesses.1 | Page FRA-FD-12-014: Food Protection Rapid Response Team & Prgrm Infrastructure Improvement Implementation Project
Food Protection Rapid Response Team and Program Infrastructure Improvement Implementation Project (U18) Public Health Relevance Recently, large illness outbreaks from contaminated food have highlighted the importance of acting quickly to protect the public's health and confidence. For food regulatory authorities this includes: ? Ensuring fast and accurate communications with human health surveillance agencies ? Initiating response activities quickly ? Ensuring that response activities are well-focused and performed correctly ? Coordinating response activities with other impacted agencies ? Laboratory analyses are performed quickly and correctly ? Public communications are timely, relevant, and accurate ? Regulatory actions (product recalls, embargoes, etc.) are decisive and effective This project contributes to these goals through the development of Rapid Response Teams, the development of food regulatory programs (through the Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards (MFRPS)), and joint advanced planning with other impacted agencies. 1 | Page FRA-FD-12-014: Food Protection Rapid Response Team &Prgrm Infrastructure Improvement Implementation Project
