# NC Cooperative Agreement to Enhance Produce Safety

> **NIH FDA U18** · NC STATE DEPT OF AGRI AND CONSUMER SERV · 2020 · $425,899

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
Project Title: Establishing a Produce Safety Program in the North Carolina Department of
Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) to Enhance Produce Safety and Promote
Compliance with the FDA Produce Safety Rule (PSR).
Project Description: This proposal outlines the NCDA&CS plan to establish a Produce Safety
Program that includes industry and regulator outreach, education, and technical assistance to
industry and regulators; in addition to inspection, compliance and enforcement components.
This proposal will detail the collaborations and processes to accomplish goals under
Competitions A and B of this funding announcement (PAR -16 - 137).
Project Goals: Establish a Produce Safety Program that encourages the safe production of
fresh fruits and vegetables, fosters industry understanding of regulatory requirements, and
promotes compliance with the requirements of the PSR.
Project Objectives: 1. Complete an assessment to evaluate NC produce landscape and a self-
assessment of available resources to determine produce safety program size and scope. 2.
Establish a mechanism to develop and maintain an inventory of farms subject to the PSR. 3.
Invest in NCDA&CS infrastructure. 4. Evaluate existing statutory and/or regulatory authority. 5.
Provide education, outreach, and technical assistance to the farming community and regulators.
6. Design and implement an inspection, compliance and enforcement program. 7. Develop a
multi-year strategy to achieve ongoing programmatic objectives.
Expected Outcomes: The development of a Produce Safety Program that utilizes partnerships
to leverage the expertise and knowledge of NCDA&CS, FDA, and collaborators such as North
Carolina State University to enhance industry compliance with the rule.
Budget: Total 5 year budget for Tier 3 Program: $5,310,000

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9967821
- **Project number:** 5U18FD005905-05
- **Recipient organization:** NC STATE DEPT OF AGRI AND CONSUMER SERV
- **Principal Investigator:** Anita MacMullan
- **Activity code:** U18 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** FDA
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $425,899
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-09-05 → 2021-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9967821

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9967821, NC Cooperative Agreement to Enhance Produce Safety (5U18FD005905-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-08 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9967821. Licensed CC0.

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