RFA-FD-12-013: Food Protection Rapid Response TeamsProject Summary-Abstract for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior ServicesThe state of Missouri has a long history of working cooperatively with the Food andDrug Administration (FDA) on food safety issues. The Department of Health and SeniorServices (DHSS) applauds FDA's leadership position and dedication to developing anintegrated food safety system. Each level of government-federal, state, and local,have very important roles and responsibilities in assuring that the food offered to thepublic is safety and wholesome. The system can only work at its best when all levels ofgovernment work together cooperatively. To that end, FDA's Rapid Response Teamconcept encourages collaboration with relevant food safety agencies under the mostimportant of circumstances-emergency response to large-scale food safety events.The Rapid Response Team concept could be very beneficial if applied to Missouri.Missouri's retail food safety is decentralized; Local Public Health Agencies areresponsible for routine inspections while DHSS is responsible for managing the statefood code, providing training and technical assistance, and providing enforcementassistance when needed. Foods manufacturing regulatory authorities are dividedbetween the DHSS food manufacturing regulatory program, the State Milk Board, andthe Missouri Department of Agriculture's Meat and Poultry Inspection Program. Inaddition, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the FDA maintain jurisdictionalauthority over food manufacturers engaged in interstate commerce. Authority over feedproducts and their inspection is managed by the MDA Bureau of Feed, Seed, andTreated Timber. If the numerous agencies are to be successful in managing large scalefood/feed emergency response events that vary in nature, communication and planningare essential.DHSS is requesting $300,000 annually for three years to address this need. Fundingwill be used to establish a program coordinator to direct Rapid Response Teamactivities, assist with travel and training expenses, and provide funds to relevantprograms to ensure participation. Activities will be modeled after existing RapidResponse Team templates that have been successfully implemented in pilot states andwill be guided by FDA visions in the development of an integrated food safety system.
Food safety is an issue that affects everyone. DHSS'proposal improves food safety in Missouri by ensuring agencies involved in the response of large-scale food safety issues collaborate and respond in accordance with pre-established plans. This leads to a greater understanding of everyone's role, improves communications, increases efficiency and ultimately leads to an improved response by all involved parties.
