# Implementation of the Produce Safety Rule in Mississippi to Enhance Safety in Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Storing Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

> **NIH FDA U18** · MISSISSIPPI STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND COMMERCE · 2021 · $160,723

## Abstract

Project Abstract
The Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) proposes this project to
implement the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule. MDAC is seeking
funding support for personnel, travel, training, equipment, and supply costs needed to
implement a comprehensive and integrated produce safety system. Achieving alignment
with the Produce Safety Rule will require comprehensive assessments by MDAC, and new
levels of cooperation between MDAC and our state’s land grant universities, Mississippi
State University and Alcorn State University.
The activities that must take place to reach this alignment will not occur without significant
and sustained financial obligations. The outcome of these activities will be a successfully
developed, multi-faceted administrative program(s) in support of the Produce Safety Rule.
To date, the Mississippi State Legislature has not obligated monies for the development of a
Produce Safety Department within the MDAC, and the goals set forth in this application will
not be achieved without funding secured through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration.
To align itself with reaching the goals of the Produce Safety Rule within five years, the
MDAC Regulatory Services Bureau intends to expand by creating a new Produce Safety
Division through the funding provided by Competition A. One Produce Safety Manager will
be hired to oversee one Outreach Coordinator, two Outreach Specialists, and work directly
as the liaison with other agencies and universities to accomplish the goals of the project. The
Produce Safety Manager will manage all programmatic activities related to alignment with
the PSR, including but not limited to the development of a Strategic Action Plan,
stakeholder communications, educational outreach to industry, audit assistance,
enforcement support, and the development of the Mississippi Farm Inventory. The
Outreach Coordinator will be responsible for educational activities, on-farm assessments,
data collection for the inventory, and training the MDAC regulatory inspectors, with
assistance provided by the two Outreach Specialists.
In addition to the above mentioned full-time employees, funding received from Competition
B will enable an expansion of the MDAC regulatory staff by hiring one Produce Regulatory
Supervisor, and eventually three Produce Regulatory Inspectors.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10363602
- **Project number:** 3U18FD006440-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** MISSISSIPPI STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND COMMERCE
- **Principal Investigator:** Kevin Riggin
- **Activity code:** U18 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** FDA
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $160,723
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2018-07-01 → 2021-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10363602

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10363602, Implementation of the Produce Safety Rule in Mississippi to Enhance Safety in Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Storing Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (3U18FD006440-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10363602. Licensed CC0.

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