# Path C Maryland Department of Agriculture Produce Safety Program

> **NIH FDA U2F** · MARYLAND STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE · 2022 · $333,390

## Abstract

Project Title: Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) Path C Produce Safety Program
Project Description: The FDA Produce Safety Rule has been adopted in its entirety into the Maryland
Annotated Code Agriculture Article Maryland Produce Safety Program §§16-101 to 16-111 2019 and
MDA will follow Program Path C, Regulatory Band 6 and Education and Inventory Band 7, as outlined
in FOA PAR-21-174, to further develop and implement the Maryland Produce Safety Program. The
MD Secretary of Agriculture designated inspection and enforcement authority for Subpart M to the
Maryland Department of Health as they already regulate sprout growers jointly with FDA. The
project will be a collaborative effort with FDA and regulatory and education partners to create and
implement a program that achieves high rates of compliance with the FDA Produce Safety Rule.
Project Overarching Goal: To enhance, develop and implement a Maryland Produce Safety Program
with a focus on quality and national consistency by conducting assessment, planning, regulatory and
educational activities to meet the program objectives.
Program Objectives: 1. Conduct assessments of the Maryland produce landscape, produce- related
event response and program resources to develop a plan for accomplishing program objectives; 2.
Establish foundational resources to implement the plan and ensure program continuity; 3. Provide
education, outreach, and technical assistance focused on compliance with the FDA Produce Safety
Rule; 4. Establish a complete and accurate inventory of Maryland produce farms by fully verifying all
FDA and MDA required data elements; 5. Develop and implement an inspection program focused on
quality and national consistency that is fully integrated with other food safety agencies; 6. Develop
and implement a risk based compliance and enforcement program with a framework for progressive
enforcement actions resulting in the greatest protection of public health; 7. Build on the current
Rapid Response Team structure and authorities to establish capabilities for a coordinated response to
all produce related events that are likely to result to result in illness, injury, or outbreak.
Expected Outcomes: The plans, partnerships, collaboration, and activities of this project will result in
a Maryland Produce Safety Program that enhances produce safety and protects public health as part
of an Integrated Food Safety System. Education and Technical Assistance will provide Maryland
produce farms with the tools to achieve compliance with the FDA Produce Safety Rule. Inspection,
compliance, and enforcement activities will further achieve high compliance rates with the FDA
Produce Safety Rule. A fully coordinated response to produce related events will reduce the impact
of produce contamination on public health.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10439691
- **Project number:** 5U2FFD007444-02
- **Recipient organization:** MARYLAND STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
- **Principal Investigator:** Molly Gillingham
- **Activity code:** U2F (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** FDA
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $333,390
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-07-01 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10439691

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10439691, Path C Maryland Department of Agriculture Produce Safety Program (5U2FFD007444-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10439691. Licensed CC0.

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