Georgia Department of Agriculture Food Safety Division Passes FDA Audit

Today, Georgia Agriculture Commissioner announced that the Georgia Department of Agriculture Food Safety Division’s Manufactured Food Program passed their biennial Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards (MFRPS) audit conducted by the United States Food and Drug Administration. MFRPS establishes a uniform foundation for state regulatory agencies and adherence to all 10 MFRPS standards is critical to ensuring a safe and secure food supply for consumers in Georgia. FDA conducted their audit June 27-29, 2023, and found that the GDA Food Safety Division maintained full implementation and conformance with all 10 program standards.

“The Food Safety Division at the Georgia Department of Agriculture is on the frontlines of public health and consumer protection in our state, and I’m proud of the work our dedicated food safety professionals do every single day to protect consumers across Georgia,” said Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper. “Georgians and Americans are blessed with the safest, most abundant, and most affordable food supply in the world – thanks in large part to our incredible farmers and hardworking food safety professionals. GDA will continue to maintain the highest standards as we work to protect Georgia consumers and ensure the safety of our food supply.”

“We’re proud to be a partner in the FDA’s MFRPS agreement and grateful for their assistance and support as we work together to improve and implement the program to reduce foodborne illness in Georgia,” said Food Safety Division Director Natalie Adan. “Enrollment in MFRPS gives GDA access to additional funding to accomplish our mission of protecting Georgia consumers and we look forward to continuing our work together.”

MFRPS was released in 2007 in collaboration with state regulatory partners to establish and implement a nationally integrated, risk-based, food safety system focused on protecting public health. The MFRPS areas of focus include: Regulatory Foundation, Training Program, Inspection Program, Food Related Illness – Outbreaks and Hazards Response, Compliance and Enforcement Program, Industry and Community Regulations, Program Resources, Program Assessment, and Laboratory Support.

GDA Food Safety’s Manufactured Food Program was established by law in 2009 and since has been awarded cooperative agreements from FDA to build a MFRPS based regulatory program and conduct contract inspections on behalf of FDA. Since then, the Program has continued maintaining conformance as indicated in the most recent FDA Interval 7 Program Assessment. Today, our MFRPS-based Manufactured Food Program is a nationally recognized program of subject matter experts and award-winning field staff.