The Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture announced that the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Department of Food Safety’s Manufactured Food Program recently passed the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s biennial review of Manufactured Food Regulatory Program (MFRPS) standards. MFRPS creates a consistent foundation for state regulators, and compliance with all ten MFRPS standards is critical to ensuring a safe food supply for Georgia consumers. The FDA conducted its audit on June 27-29, 2023 and found that GDA’s Food Safety Division has fully implemented and maintained all ten program standards.
“The Department of Food Safety at the Georgia Department of Agriculture is at the forefront of public health and consumer protection in our state, and I am proud of the work our dedicated food safety professionals do every day to protect consumers across Georgia,” said Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper. “Georgians and Americans are blessed with the safest, most plentiful and affordable food supply in the world – thanks in large part to our incredible farmers and hardworking food safety professionals. GDA will continue to uphold the highest standards as we work to protect Georgia consumers and ensure the safety of our food supply.”
“We are proud to be a partner in FDA’s MFRPS agreement and grateful for their help and support in working together to improve and implement Georgia’s foodborne disease reduction program,” said Natalie Adan, chief of food safety. “By registering with MFRPS, GDA will have access to additional funds to fulfill our mission of keeping Georgia consumers safe, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration.”
MFRPS was released in 2007 in collaboration with government regulatory partners to establish and implement a nationwide integrated, risk-based food safety system with a focus on protecting public health. Areas of focus for the MFRPS include: Regulatory Foundations, Training Program, Inspection Program, Foodborne Diseases – Outbreak and Threat Response, Compliance and Enforcement Program, Industry and Community Regulations, Program Resources, Program Evaluation and Laboratory Support.
GDA Food Safety’s Manufactured Food Program was legislated in 2009 and has since received collaborative agreements from the FDA to build an MFRPS-based regulatory program and conduct contract inspections on behalf of the FDA. Since then, the program has continued to maintain compliance as indicated in the most recent FDA Interval 7 program assessment. Today, our MFRPS-based manufactured food program is a nationally recognized program of subject matter experts and award-winning field workers.
