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  1. Integrated Food Safety System (IFSS)

The BRIDGE Project

Overview

The Better Regulatory Inspections for Dynamic Government Efficiency (BRIDGE) Project is an initiative to modernize how routine domestic food facility inspections are planned, conducted, and coordinated across federal and state food safety programs. The BRIDGE Project is a significant FDA priority, jointly championed by senior leadership within the Human Foods Program (HFP) and the Office of Inspections & Investigations (OII). The project is supported by state regulatory programs and national association partners, whose engagement is essential to advancing an Integrated Food Safety System.

What is the BRIDGE project?

In partnership with state co-regulators and other regulatory partners, the BRIDGE Project advances a unified, data-driven, and risk-based approach to food safety oversight. By strengthening coordination, improving data sharing, and aligning inspection planning, the project seeks to expand inspection coverage using a scalable, systems-based approach to reduce duplication of effort and make more effective use of limited federal and state resources, while maintaining strong public health protections. 

The BRIDGE Project builds on the principles of Domestic Mutual Reliance (DMR) https://www.fda.gov/food/integrated-food-safety-system-ifss/domestic-mutual-reliance-food, which describe how the FDA and state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) food safety agencies can work together as trusted partners. Under this approach, agencies with comparable public health programs rely on one another’s inspections, data, and regulatory actions to strengthen oversight and avoid unnecessary duplication. Building on this framework and FDA’s regulatory program standards, BRIDGE supports an inspection approach that advances the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) goal of an Integrated Food Safety System https://www.fda.gov/food/federal-state-local-tribal-and-territorial-cooperative-human-food-programs/integrated-food-safety-system-ifss.

Why is the BRIDGE Project important?

The U.S. domestic food supply is complex and ever evolving. Effective oversight is dependent on strong coordination between the FDA and state food safety programs, which together play a central role in protecting public health.

Today, inspections and related data are often conducted in parallel across federal and state programs. This can result in duplication, gaps in inspection coverage, and inefficient use of limited resources. As the food system continues to evolve, there is an increasing need for stronger alignment, shared risk intelligence, and coordinated planning.

The BRIDGE Project addresses these challenges by optimizing FDA/State collaboration, improving how inspection, compliance, and risk information are shared and used, and aligning inspection activities so oversight efforts are focused where they are most needed.

What does the BRIDGE Project Seek to Accomplish?

The BRIDGE project advances the evolution of domestic food safety oversight by evaluating and improving how the FDA and state co-regulators and partners plan, coordinate, and carry out routine food safety inspection and compliance activities.

By strengthening the shared use of inspection, compliance, and risk data to examine systematic risks, BRIDGE supports more consistent, risk-based oversight that helps expand inspection coverage that can scale when warranted to better target resources to achieve the greatest public health impact.  The project builds on decades of FDA/State collaboration and reflects an evolution toward a more integrated, coordinated approach to oversight.

BRIDGE is designed to identify, test, and refine ways to optimize food safety operations within the FDA and in partnership with state food safety programs, and to move successful approaches into standard practice. Through a phased, evidence-driven approach, the project evaluates new methods before broader implementation, supporting a modern, integrated food safety system that is practical, scalable, and sustainable over time.

What are the BRIDGE Project Goals and Timeline?

The BRIDGE project is guided by the following goals:

  • Share inspection, compliance, and risk data across federal and state programs
  • Modernize digital systems to support interoperability and analytics
  • Use risk-based approach to guide inspection frequency and depth
  • Coordinate inspection planning to reduce duplication and close coverage gaps
  • Leverage federal and state expertise and authorities
  • Test, refine, and scale new oversight approaches
  • Align workforce training, funding, and performance measures
  • Establish a sustainable, long-term federal–state partnership model

Together, these goals support efficient oversight and stronger public health protection.

Project Phases

Phase 1: Design and Foundation (Completed)
June 2025 – September 2025
Phase 1 focused on initial planning and preparation, including assessments of inspection approaches and supporting infrastructure. This phase established the conceptual foundation for the project and engaged stakeholders in early discussions.

Phase 2: Proof of Process (Current Phase)
October 2025 – December 2027
Phase 2 focuses on testing and refining new approaches through live operations within the FDA and with selected state co-regulators and partners. This phase evaluates data sharing, inspection models, planning processes, and system readiness, with a focus on validating what works, identifying gaps, and refining approaches based on evidence.

Phase 3: National Implementation (Planned)
January 2028 – December 2030
Phase 3 will scale successful approaches nationwide and integrate routine domestic food safety operations.

What’s Next?

Phase 2 of the BRIDGE project is now formally underway and is the beginning of a two-year proof of process. During this phase, the FDA and selected state co-regulators and partners will test and refine multiple new concepts and approaches, generating evidence and lessons learned to inform future decisions and processes.

Findings from Phase 2 will inform a broader rollout during Phase 3, planned to begin in 2028. Approaches that demonstrate improved coordination, efficiency, and inspection coverage will be scaled and incorporated into routine oversight activities.

By 2030, the BRIDGE project is expected to support a durable, data-driven, and collaborative approach to domestic food safety oversight that strengthens public health protection nationwide.

Questions?

For more information about the BRIDGE project, contact BRIDGEProject@fda.hhs.gov.



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