FDA awards funding to states to help implement FSMA

• Late last week, FDA announced it would award $21.8 million to 42 states, with the amount per state based on the estimated number of farms growing produce covered by FSMA in that state.  The goals of the partnership are to provide states with financial assistance to develop the data and infrastructure necessary to implement produce safety rules at the local, state, and national level, and encourage states to create inspection, compliance, and enforcement programs.
• The funding was offered through two channels.  First, funding was offered for state or territory food agencies to develop infrastructure for education and farm inventories.  The program will focus on creating an inventory of farms, developing regulatory infrastructure, and preparing for future enforcement and outreach programs. 
• Additionally, states were invited to apply for funding that would become available in future years to help states implement compliance programs for the FDA Produce Safety Rule.  States that pursued this second tier of funding were required to “confirm their jurisdiction’s intent to adopt the FDA Produce Safety Rule in its entirety” or make state employees available to FDA commissions to assist in inspection and enforcement activities.
• This funding will increase state (and, by extension, FDA) resources available to monitor and enforce safety standards for the production of fruits and vegetables.  Under this program, FDA will likely receive more granular data regarding state and local growers, which it could use to guide future enforcement or educational activities.