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  5. Domestic Mutual Reliance Work in Human and Animal Food East Division 2
  1. Domestic Mutual Reliance

Domestic Mutual Reliance Work in Human and Animal Food East Division 2

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The Division of Human and Animal Food East 2 (HAFE2) encompasses Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

For more information on Rapid Response Teams, Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards, and other programs, please see FDA and State Counterparts.


Delaware

The state of Delaware does not currently perform inspections under FDA contract, though FDA engages with the Delaware Department of Agriculture and the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services on numerous public health topics and regulatory guidance. State employees maintain active pocket credentials or certificates of commissioning.   The DDA also participates in the Produce Safety Cooperative Agreement.

Areas of Collaboration

  • Produce inspections
  • Annual meetings
  • Regulatory guidance
  • Inventory and operational status requests
  • Regulatory meetings with the state and the division’s compliance branch to discuss non-compliance of firms and bring firms into voluntary compliance
  • On-the-job training for state inspectors
  • Regulated industry information sharing
  • Product recalls

Additional Resources

 


District of Columbia

The District of Columbia does not currently perform inspections under FDA contract, though FDA engages with the District of Columbia Department of Health to integrate food safety resources.

Areas of Collaboration

  • Training to augment the Retail Food Safety Program
  • Joint inspections of facilities when needed
  • Utilizing state inspectional data to assist with casework performed
  • Inventory and operational status requests
  • Regulatory meetings with the state and the division’s compliance branch to discuss non-compliance of firms and bring firms into voluntary compliance
  • On-the-job training for state inspectors
  • Regulated industry information sharing
  • Product recalls

Additional Resources


Maryland

The FDA engages with the Maryland Department of Health and the Maryland Department of Agriculture to perform contract inspections. The FDA relies on the state’s expertise in acidified foods, hazard analysis critical control point systems, current good manufacturing practices, and preventive controls inspections in the human food program area. State employees enter and inspect under FDA authority, thus maintaining federal credentials. Maryland also participates in the Produce Safety Cooperative Agreement. 

Areas of Collaboration

  • Training
  • Joint inspections of facilities when needed
  • Utilizing state inspectional data to assist with casework performed
  • Inventory and operational status requests
  • Sharing compliance activities
  • Work planning sessions
  • Joint inspections of pharmacies engaged in compounding human and animal drugs
  • Communicating on produce safety to include sharing of inventory, sampling results, or need for joint inspection in response to an outbreak
  • Rapid Response Team
  • Regulatory meetings with the state and the division’s compliance branch to discuss non-compliance of firms and bring firms into voluntary compliance
  • On-the-job training for state inspectors
  • Regulated industry information sharing
  • Product recalls

Additional Resources


New Jersey

The FDA engages with the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDH) and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture (NJDA) to perform contract inspections. The FDA relies on the state’s expertise in Seafood hazard analysis critical control point systems, current good manufacturing practices (cGMP), and preventive controls (PC) inspections in the human food program area, and the NJDA performs Part 507 GMP, full PC, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, and veterinary feed directive inspections in the animal food program area. State employees enter and inspect facilities under FDA authority, thus maintaining active FDA credentials. The NJDA also participates in the Produce Safety Cooperative Agreement.

Areas of Collaboration

  • Produce inspections
  • Public warning letters
  • Joint inspections of facilities when needed
  • Food Safety Task Force
  • Regulatory meetings with the state and the division’s compliance branch to discuss non-compliance of firms and bring firms into voluntary compliance
  • On-the-job training for state inspectors
  • Regulated industry information sharing
  • Product recalls

Additional Resources


Pennsylvania

The FDA engages with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) to perform contract inspections. The FDA relies on the state’s expertise in current good manufacturing practices (cGMP) and preventive controls (PC) inspections in the human food program area, Part 507 cGMP, Full PC, VFD traceback inspections, and 100% of medicated feed mill inspections in the animal food area. Pennsylvania’s human food regulations meet or exceed those enforced by FDA, and as such, PDA employees enter and inspect facilities under their own jurisdiction. State inspectors of the animal food program maintain active pocket credentials. The PDA also participates the Produce Safety Cooperative Agreement Program.

In October 2023, the FDA announced the signing of a partnership agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Food Safety & Laboratory Services that will focus on inventory reconciliation, reducing foodborne illness risk, and minimizing duplication of work.

Areas of Collaboration

  • Joint inspections of facilities when needed
  • Public warning letters
  • Sharing compliance activities
  • Utilizing state inspectional data to assist with casework performed
  • Work planning sessions
  • Rapid Response Team
  • Regulatory meetings with the state and the division’s compliance branch to discuss non-compliance of firms and bring firms into voluntary compliance
  • On-the-job training for state inspectors
  • Regulated industry information sharing
  • Product recalls

Additional Resources

 


Virginia

The FDA engages with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) Office of Dairy and Foods to perform contract inspections. The FDA relies on the state’s expertise in Seafood hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP), Juice HACCP, Acidified Foods, current good manufacturing practices (cGMP), and preventive controls inspections in the human food program areas. The VDACS Office of Plant Industry Services performs Licensed Medicated Feed, Non-Licensed Medicated Feed, Part 507 GMP, and bovine spongiform encephalopathy inspections in the animal foods program area. State employees enter and inspect facilities under FDA authority, thus maintaining active FDA credentials. The VDACS also participates the Produce Safety Cooperative Agreement Program.

In October 2022, the FDA signed a domestic mutual reliance partnership agreement with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Areas of Collaboration

  • Work planning sessions
  • Utilizing state inspectional data to assist with casework performed
  • Sharing sample analyses to remove violative products from the market
  • Sharing compliance activities
  • Joint inspections of facilities when needed
  • Food Safety Task Force
  • Public warning letters
  • Rapid Response Team
  • Regulatory meetings with the state and the division’s compliance branch to discuss non-compliance of firms and bring firms into voluntary compliance
  • On-the-job training for state inspectors
  • Regulated industry information sharing
  • Product recalls

Additional Resources:


West Virginia

The FDA engages with the West Virginia Department of Agriculture and the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, Bureau of Public Health to perform contract inspections. The FDA relies on the state’s expertise in acidified foods, hazard analysis critical control point systems, current good manufacturing practices, and preventive controls inspections in the human food program area. State employees enter and inspect under FDA authority, thus maintaining federal credentials. West Virginia also participates in the Produce Safety Cooperative Agreement. 

Areas of Collaboration

  • Training
  • Joint activities, including inspections of manufacturers and warehouses
  • Sharing of facilities inventory, inspection history, and compliance activities
  • Annual joint work planning sessions
  • Joint inspections of pharmacies engaged in compounding human and animal drugs
  • Communicating on produce safety to include sharing of inventory, sampling results, or need for joint inspection in response to an outbreak
  • Voluntary Rapid Response Team
  • Regulatory meetings with the state and the division’s compliance branch to discuss non-compliance of firms and bring firms into voluntary compliance
  • On-the-job training for state inspectors
  • Regulated industry information sharing
  • Product recalls

Additional Resources

 

 
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