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Resources
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Federal Agencies with Cooperative Agreement and Grant Opportunities Available to State and Food Safety Agencies
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)
The FSIS, a public health regulatory agency, protects consumers by ensuring that meat and poultry products are safe, wholesome, and accurately labeled.Agricultural Research Service (ARS)
The ARS is the principal research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ARS is charged with extending the Nation's scientific knowledge across a broad range of program areas that affect the American people on a daily basis.Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service, (CSREES)
The CSREES, in cooperation with partners and customers, provides the focus to advance a global system of research, extension and higher education in the food and agricultural sciences and related environmental and human sciences to benefit people, communities, and the Nation. Grant opportunities are available at http://www.reeusda.gov/pas/programs/foodsafety.Environmental Protection Agency
The EPA protects human health and safeguards the natural environment. Grant and fellowship opportunities are available at http://www.epa.gov/epahome/grants.htm.
Department of Health and Human Services
GrantsNet
GrantsNet is the homepage for funding sources for the Department of Health and Human Services.Office of Regulatory Affairs, Division of Federal-State Relations
The Food and Drug Administration, Office of Regulatory Affairs, Division of Federal-State Relations, interacts with, and serves as the focal point for cooperating state and local officials, and associations of those state officials, to promote cohesive and uniform policies and activities in food and drug-related matters. Information on grant funds for the support of innovative food safety projects are available at http://www.fda.gov/ora/fed_state/innovative_grants.htmlCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
The CDC serves as the national focus for developing and applying disease prevention and control, environmental health promotion and education activities designed to improve the health of the people of the United States. Information on grant and other project funding opportunities are available at http://www.cdc.gov/funding.htm.
Other Sources for Food Safety Information and Guidance
Federal Sources
FSIS Food Safety Education and Consumer Information
State Officials - Cooperative Meat and Poultry Inspections Programs
Lists the State Agriculture Commissioners and State Directors for Cooperative Meat and Poultry Programs
FSIS Technical Service Center and District Offices
USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline
(1-800-535-4555; 1-800-256-7072/TTY) - Helps consumers prevent foodborne illness by answering their questions about safe storage, handling, and preparation of meat and poultry products.
Technical Service Center Interagency Regulator's Information Line (1-800-233-3935; Fax: 1-402-221-7367; e-mail: food.safety@usda.gov) - Provides answers to questions from regulatory and public health officials concerning products under FSIS' jurisdiction, with emphasis on meat, poultry, and egg product safety, from farm to table. The staff responds to technical and regulatory questions on the raising of animals, the slaughter of animals, the processing of products from those animals, and the handling of such products during transportation, storage, retail, and food service operations. The Information Line is staffed from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM, CST, Monday through Friday.
Directory of State and Local Officials - 2001
Health, Agriculture, Board of Pharmacy and other State Departments
State Food Safety Task Forces
State Food Safety Task Forces foster communication and cooperation among the food safety regulatory agencies within the states. FSIS and FDA participate with the states in addressing food safety issues at the state and local level that are being addressed at the national level. "State Food Safety Task Force ... A Compilation of Progress Reports, II, Summer 2001" provides updates on state food safety task force activities. A list of state contacts is provided.
State, Local and Other Agencies
Federal Government Partners in Food Safety
National Association of State Meat and Food Inspection Directors (NASMFID)
The NASMFID is an organization of directors, assistant directors, and professional employees of state meat and poultry inspection programs.
Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO)
AFDO fosters uniformity among jurisdictions in the adoption and enforcement of food, drug and other laws and regulations that protect public health and safety. AFDO and its six regional affiliates provide a forum for addressing a wide range of issues concerning food safety and consumer protection. Members include officials of Federal, State and local regulatory agencies.
Conference for Food Protection (CFP)
The CFP provides a public forum for a discussion of issues relating to retail food safety policies and requirements. The CFP provides recommendations to the Federal agencies on policies and changes to the Food Code. Members consist of state and local regulators, industry representatives, consumer representatives, and academia.
Food Safety Training and Education Alliance (FSTEA)
FSTEA is an organization of government, industry, consumer and academic institutions dedicated to improving food safety training and education at the retail level. The Alliance coordinates efforts of its members to remove barriers to communication by facilitating information exchange, strengthening communication networks and alliances, and coordinating collaborative projects.
Training Resources Available to States and Local Agencies
FSIS Food Safety Virtual University
Offers a variety of programs and training opportunities. The Food Safety Virtual University (FSVU) is an effort to utilize rapidly advancing technology to deliver training and education in the area of food safety to a widely dispersed and very diverse audience. The FSVU is a work in progress, and over time, visitors will have a menu of programs and information to choose from. The College of State and Local Studies, which is part of the FSVU, is intended to provide a high degree of food safety training support to State and local officials. The College will provide training materials to regulators in a variety of delivery formats.
Food and Drug Administration, Office of Regulatory Affairs On Line University (ORA U)
ORA U is an effort to reach more people, at more locations, in a more timely manner to provide high-quality, cost-effective training that is critical to protecting American consumers.
National Agricultural Library (NAL) Foodborne Illness Education Information Center
The NAL Foodborne Illness Education Information Center provides information about foodborne illness prevention to educators, trainers, and organizations developing education and training materials for food workers and consumers. The center is part of an interagency agreement between the FSIS and the FDA.
Public Health Training Network (PHTN)
The PHTN is a distance learning system that takes training to the learner. PHTN uses a variety of instructional media ranging from print-based to videotape and multimedia to meet the training needs of the public health workforce nationwide.
