Advancing the Minnesota Department of Agriculture's Conformance with the Animal Feed Regulatory Program Standards

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is seeking funding under the FDA grant opportunity RFA-FD-15- 021, Implementation of the Animal Feed Regulatory Program Standards (AFRPS) (U18). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA), Office of Partnerships (OP) announced the availability of up to $12,600,000 to be awarded under limited competition to State animal feed regulatory programs. The intended outcome of this FOA is to advance efforts for a nationally integrated feed safety system through the implementation and advancement of the Animal Feed Regulatory Program Standards (AFRPS) by State feed regulatory programs. The AFRPS allows for the development of risk-based feed safety programs by establishing a uniform basis for measuring and improving the performance of State feed regulatory programs in the United States. By achieving and sustaining implementation of these programs standards, Federal and State programs can better direct their regulatory activities toward reducing foodborne illness attributed to feed safety hazards in animal feed materials/supply facilities. Consequently, the safety and security of the United States animal feed supply will improve. The AFRPS is comprised of eleven (11) standards which establish the foundation for the critical elements that serve as an objective framework to evaluate and improve components of a State feed program. These elements cover the State feed programs regulatory foundation, training, inspection program, auditing, feed-related illness or death and emergency response, enforcement program, outreach activities, budget and planning, laboratory services, sampling program, and assessment and improvement standard implementation. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) Dairy and Food Inspection Division (DFID) Commercial Feed Unit (CFU) licenses and inspects approximately 1,900 feed establishments in Minnesota. The CFU has both responsibility for both retail and manufactured feed and has a staff complement of (20) for feed related activities, with (9) devoted to field inspection. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture, as part of the application, will maintain a comprehensive strategic plan that outlines the milestones and goals needed to gain significant conformance to the AFRPS by the end of the Year 4 grant period. This application also describes the creation of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Standard Enhancement Projects (SEPs) that will serve as a resource to other agencies and jurisdictions attempting to conform to these standards. The MDA Laboratory Services Division is included in this request for funding and remains committed to working with the MDA Feed Program officials and the FDA to protect the safety of the nation's animal feed supply and to enhance public health through a nationally integrated feed safety system. The laboratory supports this goal by achieving, maintaining and expanding its ISO17025 scope of accreditation in performing microbiological and chemical analyses of feed on behalf of the State's feed regulatory program and the AFRPS. Sharing the laboratory's high-quality, valid, and defensible results promotes the early identification and regulatory response to feed adulterants, contaminants, toxins, etc. and reduces the foodborne illness attributed to feed safety hazards in animal feed material. Consequently, the safety and security of the United States animal feed supply will improve. In this cooperative agreement proposal, the MDA Laboratory establishes its ability to meet all eligibility requirements. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the laboratory is well-positioned to achieve the program objectives identified in RFA-FD-15-021 in terms of laboratory facilities and equipment, organization, personnel qualifications, operational support, management practices, feed testing capabilities, and the laboratory quality management system.