# Implementation of FDA Produce Safety Rule in Hawaii

> **NIH FDA U2F** · HAWAII STATE DEPT OF AGRICULTURE · 2023 · $64,553

## Abstract

Hawaii Produce Safety Program
PAR-21-174: The FDA's Cooperative Agreement Program for States and Territories to Implement a
 National Produce Safety Program
 Project Period: July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2026
 Project Summary
In Project Years 1 and 2, our Program will continue along PATH A, to advance Produce Safety Rule related
education, outreach, and technical assistance activities for Hawaii covered produce growers. An Education and
Outreach Specialist will be hired to expand our services capacity. Our Program will build upon a robust Farm
Inventory database by following our maintenance SOP to conduct surveys, interviews, and web-based data
research. Through the Farm Inventory tool our Program identifies growers interested in PSA Grower Training
Courses and On Farm Readiness Reviews.
Key collaborations with partners like the University of Hawaii College of Tropical Agriculture Cooperative
Extension Service, PSA, FDA, other state produce safety programs, other Hawaii departments and NGO’s
enhance our ability to serve growers. Our outreach efforts include translated material development and
bilingual translators to teach growers with limited English proficiency about the Produce Safety Rule.
Our transition to PATH B begins in Year 3 with the implementation of regulatory and inspection plans under
FDA’s authority. A Produce Safety Inspector will be hired to conduct inspections and assist with compliance and
enforcement procedures that align with FDA’s Standardized Approach to Produce Farm Inspections.
In Year 3, our Program leadership anticipates a transition of fiscal and human resource administration from the
Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii to the Hawaii Department of Agriculture. This structural
change will provide our staff greater authority as certified HDOA employees to serve growers and execute
regulatory actions.
In Year 4 of our Program’s PATH B efforts, we will assess conducting sprout inspections.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10659019
- **Project number:** 5U2FFD007652-02
- **Recipient organization:** HAWAII STATE DEPT OF AGRICULTURE
- **Principal Investigator:** Leonard G Obaldo
- **Activity code:** U2F (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** FDA
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $64,553
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-07-01 → 2026-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10659019

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10659019, Implementation of FDA Produce Safety Rule in Hawaii (5U2FFD007652-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10659019. Licensed CC0.

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