# Nevada Department of Agriculture Produce Safety Program Research Strategy

> **NIH FDA U18** · NEVADA STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE · 2020 · $92,813

## Abstract

Nevada Produce Safety Program Research Strategy
Project Abstract / Summary
Project Abstract/Summary
A primary objective within the Nevada Department of Agriculture's (NDA) mission statement is
to protect food, fiber, and human health and safety through effective service and education. As a
result, adopting the Produce Safety Rule (PSR) in its entirety and developing a Nevada Produce
Safety Program is a priority of the NDA. A self-assessment will be performed in order to
establish a comprehensive program in Nevada. This assessment will include modifying the
NDA's producer certificate program to capture farminventory data. New mechanisms for
capturing needed information will also be identified and created to capture all produce farms that
are actively selling in Nevada and to allow for the information to be shared with FDA and other
states. This information will lead to the development of a feasible plan for establishing a
Produce Safety Program in Nevada. Data sharing systems will be established with common
fields included to facilitate the sharing of information involving farm inventories and
inspections. This will also allow aggregation of information for assessment of the impacts of the
program.
The NDA will collaborate with the Desert Farming Initiative (DFI) under the University of
Nevada, Reno College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources (CABNR) and the
NDA's communications team in order to create an education, training, and outreach program that
informs produce growers of the requirements and facilitates compliance. This program will be
formed through participation in Produce Safety Alliance trainings and by collaborating with
FDA and other state programs. Based on previous experience in coordinating trainings,
producers are expected to be more likely to attend in-state trainings, which is why the NDA will
be establishing a Nevada education, training and technical assistance program. Farm
assessments will be a component of Nevada's programto provide one-on-one technical
assistance to farmers. In addition, the communications team will help create online resources,
instructional videos, field guides, and other outreach initiatives that will benefit and inform
Nevada growers. The National Consortium of Produce Program Development will be consulted
as a program is established.
For competition B, the NDA will be developing a state inspection program. In this program,
regulatory staff will attend trainings as recommended by FDA to prepare staff for performing
regulatory services and in establishing a state regulatory program. The regulatory processes will
be determined based on guidance provided by FDA, PSR regulations, and activities performed
by other states. Establishing a program that is appropriate and feasible for Nevada is of utmost
priority; however, establishing a program that is consistent with other participating states is also
an important objective.
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## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9966736
- **Project number:** 5U18FD005892-05
- **Recipient organization:** NEVADA STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
- **Principal Investigator:** Alexa Johnson
- **Activity code:** U18 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** FDA
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $92,813
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-09-05 → 2021-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9966736

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9966736, Nevada Department of Agriculture Produce Safety Program Research Strategy (5U18FD005892-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9966736. Licensed CC0.

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