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INVESTIGATOR: Fouladkhah, A. C.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY
3500 JOHN A. MERRITT BLVD
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE 37209

ASSISTING PRODUCERS AND PROCESSORS MEETING THE WATER AND FOOD SAFETY REQUIREMENTS IN THE CURRENT REGULATORY CLIMATE

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) is the most comprehensive legislation in the U.S. food and agricultural productions in more than 70 years. The food safety law aims to ensure safety of domestic and imported foods by shifting focus of federal regulatory agencies from response to outbreaks and recalls to preventive measures. While larger entrepreneurs could navigate their way in new regulatory climate by expanding their personnel or hiring third-party service, small, and emerging entrepreneurs and those with socially disadvantaged leadership are particularly vulnerable in the current regulatory landscape. If failing to meet the requirements of FSMA, the later cohort of producers would need to remain low in profit in order to stay within the FSMA exemption "box." In addition to main legislative expectations of Produce and Preventive Control rules of FSMA, the requirement for water testing is of particular concern for stakeholders since producers of raw agricultural commodities would need to meet frequent testing and microbial quality expectations. The current proposal is a collaborative endeavor for (1) Development of a cadre of extension agents/faculty trained for FSMA outreach (2) Conduct of FSMA needs assessment of producers and processors. (3) Development of FSMA outreach material for extension agents emerging entrepreneurs (4) Development and validation of water testing and water sampling, storage, and analyses best practices, and 5) Continuation of annual state-wide small Tennessean growers' and students' FSMA/Food Safety scholarship programs. With expanding county infrastructure and active leadership in regional and national FSMA consortia, TSU is uniquely positioned to host this project.

OBJECTIVES: Current proposal is a Collaborative Extension project to build institutional and regional capacity, foster collaboration among the proposing institutions, and enhanced stakeholders' engagement by (1) Development of a cadre of extension agents/faculty trained for FSMA outreach (2) Conduct of FSMA needs assessment of producers and processors. (3) Development of FSMA outreach material for extension agents emerging entrepreneurs (4) Development and validation of water testing and water sampling, storage, and analyses best practices, and 5) Continuation of annual state-wide small Tennessean growers' and students' FSMA/Food Safety scholarship programs.?