Flexible Funding Model-Infrastructure Development and Maintenance for State Manufactured Food Regulatory Programs Funding Opportunity: RFA-FD-23-027 Project Period: July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2026 Budget Period: July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024 CFDA Number: 93.367 MFRPS Maintenance State of Maryland Department of Health FFM - MFRPS Maintenance of Conformance ABSTRACT The Maryland Department of Health, Prevention and Health Promotion Administration’s Office of Food Protection (the Department) has made significant contributions towards the goal of a nationally integrated food safety system (IFSS) through implementation of the Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards (MFRPS) and creation and maintenance of the State of Maryland Rapid Response Team (SMarRRT). This current proposal builds on achieving full conformance with the MFRPS, by further integrating MFRPS concepts, operations, and partnerships into the Department to achieve the following key goals: 1. Maintain Conformance with the MFRPS by assuring all procedures are updated and in conformance with the 2022 standards, and with future versions as they are introduced. 2. Continue our collaboration with FDA for state contract, and shared inspections, investigations, and enforcement actions initiated by State or FDA at manufactured food firms in Maryland. 3. Continue to build on established inspection and compliance programs that utilize a regulatory framework and authority to facilitate an integrated food safety system, including engaging with FDA to participate in work planning, work sharing, and data exchange efforts. 4. Identify and close agency infrastructure gaps by continued training, updating, and implementation of regulations, policies, and procedures to include Preventive Controls Rules and statutory and regulatory authority. 5. Continue to hold an informational sharing agreement with the FDA under 21 CFR 20.88. 6. Continue to support the Laboratory Flexible Funding Model (LFFM) and Rapid Response Team (RRT) by assisting with product and environmental sample collection, traceback investigation and data analysis, environmental investigations and risk assessments. 1