The primary goal of Michigan's Rapid Response Team (RRT) is to further develop theintegrated strategy for sustained, multi-disciplinary, and replicable regional protection ofthe food, feed and related agricultural infrastructure existing in Michigan. Over the firstfive years of the RRT effort, Michigan has greatly improved our rapid responsecapabilities and strengthened our programmatic infrastructure through development ofplans and procedures as well training, exercising, real world responses, and workingthrough the Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards (MFRPS) process.Michigan has made tremendous progress particularly in the areas of coordination withstate and local public health agencies and in feed safety.Michigan, both a border state and home of the second busiest truck border crossingpoint in the nation, faces special challenges across the food, feed and agriculture supplychain from the volume of goods coming into the State. The vulnerabilities to foodsafety-whether the introduction is intentional or accidental-continue to grow asinternational commerce increases.The Michigan RRT will continue to:1. Improve rapid response capabilities, using the RRT concept, in collaboration with the FDA Detroit District Office, for safety and laboratory programs for both food and feed.2. Continue dissemination and integration of RRT best practices and MDARD specific SOPs within the MDARD Food Inspection, Commercial Feed and Laboratory programs. This includes providing role-appropriate training in support of plans and procedures with both MDARD and FDA Detroit District Office staff.3. Continue to work with Pennsylvania and other RRT and non-RRT states to help develop and replicate the RRT successes.
The Food Protection Rapid Response Team funding support has allowed Michigan tobuild an integrated strategy for a sustained; multidisciplinary; multi-agency approach toprotect human and animal health through food and feed safety efforts. The MichiganDepartment of Agriculture and Rural Development has; given the diversity and scope ofthe food and agricultural infrastructure; demonstrated that rapid response capacities forfood and feed emergencies are best developed through the active engagement ofindividuals with a wide range of expertise in order to protect the public health;environment; and economy.
