Funding Opportunity Number RFA-FD-12-027 Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry Project SummaryThe Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry (ODAFF) in collaborationwith the Oklahoma State University, Robert M. Kerr Food and Agricultural ProductsCenter (FAPC) proposes the development and delivery of training programs called'Farm Friendly Food Safety and Preventive Controls Programs'. These programs will bedesigned and implemented for the training of Dairy and Milk Processors, Shell EggProducers, and Feed Manufacturers with the emphasis that they be directed towardsmall and very small producers that do not have the resources available to develop thisknowledge nor the skills to implement them, without outside assistance. Theintroductory presentation of this training will cover general food safety programs(preventive controls) that will link closely to food defense programs (including the ALERTinitiative). The second phase of the training will be focused on product specificknowledge. The final course of training will address advanced pre-requisite programsand the Food Related Emergency Exercise Bundle (FREE-B). The training will providesmall and very small producers the basic knowledge of preventive controls and foodsecurity to assist them in meeting the requirements of the Food Safety ModernizationAct. This training will be provided at various locations around the State of Oklahoma atlocations that will be convenient for the small producers to attend. The intent is to havea pre-test and survey to measure the incoming level of knowledge and a post-test aftereach training session. The participants that successfully complete the post test willreceive a certificate of completion of each level of training that they can display at theirproduction facility, retail sales venue or farmers market location. The successfulacquisition of such an award will allow the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food,and Forestry inspectors to implement these programs and better conduct inspectionsrelated to dairies, shell eggs, and feed manufacturers so that they will be able to conducttheir inspections in a more efficient manner by enhancing IT components with laptopsand printers allowing them to better share information with other state, local and federalregulatory agencies. Both the training and IT components of this proposal will meet thegoal of building the capacity of state, local, territorial and tribal regulatory agencies toundertake examinations, inspections, investigations, and other related food safetyactivities under Section 702 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act.
Funding Opportunity Number RFA-FD-12-027 Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry Project Narrative The Oklahoma Department, of Agriculture, Food and Forestry will be able to reduce the potential threat to public health by increasing the knowledge and awareness of food safety and food defense issues by both the regulated producers and the personnel who are regulating these producers. The purchase of the twenty tablet computers (11 the first year and 9 the third year), printers and the funding of the monthly fees for wireless internet service for three years will allow our Agency to modernize our inspection and reporting system. This modernization will facilitate long-term improvements to our food safety system as well as the national food safety system by building our capacity to undertake examinations, inspections and related food safety activities as well as improving our ability to share information with other regulatory agencies which will serve to advance an integrated national food safety system as well as meeting the provisions of the Food Safety Modernization Act.
