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

Domestic Mutual Reliance Work in Human and Animal Food West Division 5

The Division of Human and Animal Food West 5 (HAFW5) encompasses California, Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Mariana Islands, and Guam.  State counterparts perform contract inspections in human and animal food, medical device, and tobacco compliance.

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


California 

The FDA engages with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) to perform contract inspections. CDPH and CDFA investigators perform current good manufacturing practices and preventive controls inspections in the human food program. CDFA investigators also perform egg safety, licensed medicated feed mill, current good manufacturing practices, and preventive controls inspections in the animal food program area. CDPH and some of CDFA’s regulations meet or exceed those enforced by the FDA, and as such, employees enter and inspect facilities under their own jurisdiction. CDFA feed employees enter and inspect under FDA authority, thus maintaining active FDA credentials. CDFA also participates in the Produce Safety Cooperative Agreement. 

In September 2021, the California Department of Public Health signed a domestic mutual reliance partnership agreement with the FDA to expand collaboration and commitment to protecting public health, as well as enhance the relationship between the agencies as they work together toward an Integrated Food Safety System.

Areas of Collaboration 

  • Work planning sessions 
  • Utilizing state inspectional data to assist with casework performed 
  • Sharing compliance activities 
  • Joint inspections of facilities when needed 
  • Food Safety Task Force 
  • 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 
  • FDA formal training courses and on-the-job training for state inspectors 
  • Regulated industry information sharing 
  • Sharing of sample analysis to remove violative products from the market
  • Annual meetings
  • Regulatory guidance
  • Inventory and operational status requests
  • Investigation of outbreaks and complaints
  • Product recall oversight and effectiveness/audit checks
  • Sharing Course/Workshop Attendance Opportunities

Additional Resources 


Hawaii 

The state of Hawaii does not currently perform inspections under FDA contract, though the FDA engages with the Hawaii Department of Health and Human Services in sharing compliance activities for awareness and usage as needed and to coordinate any outbreaks for public health protection.  State employees maintain active certificates of commissioning or pocket credentials for tobacco compliance contract inspections. The Hawaii Department of Agriculture participates in the produce safety cooperative agreement.  

Areas of Collaboration 

  • Joint inspections of facilities when needed 
  • Utilizing state inspectional data to assist with casework performed 
  • Sharing compliance activities 
  • 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 
  • FDA formal training courses and on-the-job training for state inspectors 
  • Regulated industry information sharing 
  • Product recalls 
  • Regulatory guidance

Additional Resources: 


Nevada 

The FDA engages with the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services (NDHHS) to perform contract inspections. NDHHS performs seafood hazard analysis critical control point, current good manufacturing practices, and preventive controls inspections in the human food program. NDHHS employees enter and inspect under FDA authority, thus maintaining active FDA credentials. The Nevada Department of Agriculture participates in the produce safety cooperative agreement. The FDA also engages with the Southern Nevada Health District, which has inspection authority of food manufacturers in Clark County, and the Washoe County Department of Environmental Health, which has inspection authority of food manufacturers in Washoe County. State employees maintain active pocket credentials for tobacco compliance contract inspections. 

Areas of Collaboration 

  • Work planning sessions 
  • Utilizing state and local inspectional data to assist with casework performed 
  • Sharing compliance activities 
  • Joint state and local inspections of facilities when needed 
  • Food Safety Task Force 
  • Regulatory meetings with the state and local jurisdictions and the division’s compliance branch to discuss non-compliance of firms and bring firms into voluntary compliance 
  • FDA formal training courses and on-the-job training for state inspectors 
  • Regulated industry information sharing 
  • Product recalls 

Additional Resources: 


American Samoa 

American Samoa does not currently perform inspections under FDA contract, though the FDA engages with the American Samoa Department of Human and Social Services on public health topics and regulatory guidance. Territorial employees maintain active pocket credentials for tobacco compliance contract inspections. 

Areas of Collaboration 

  • Regulatory guidance 
  • Inventory and operational status requests 
  • Regulated industry information sharing 
  • Product recalls 

Additional Resources: 


Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands 

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands does not currently perform inspections under FDA contract, though the FDA engages with the Commonwealth to assist the division with inspections. The FDA relies on the Commonwealth’s expertise in firm inventory, outbreaks, and consumer complaints. Commonwealth employees maintain active certificates of commissioning.   

Areas of Collaboration 

  • Regulatory guidance 
  • Inventory and operational status requests 
  • Regulated industry information sharing 
  • Product recalls 

Additional Resources: 


Guam 

Guam does not currently perform inspections under FDA contract, though the FDA engages with the Guam Department of Public Health and Social Services on numerous public health topics and regulatory guidance. The FDA relies on Guam’s expertise in firm inventory, outbreaks, and consumer complaints. Territorial employees maintain certificates of commissioning or active pocket credentials for tobacco compliance contract inspections.   

Areas of Collaboration 

  • Regulatory guidance 
  • Inventory and operational status requests 
  • FDA formal training courses and on-the-job training for state inspectors 
  • Regulated industry information sharing 
  • Product recalls 

Additional Resources: 

 
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