Minnesota’s Exemplary Food Safety Initiatives

Comprised of 16 members appointed by the governor for four-year terms, Minnesota’s Task Force includes the Minnesota Commissioner of Agriculture; the Commissioner of Health; representatives of FDA, USDA, UMN, and the Minnesota Farm Bureau; and nine additional members representing the public, as well as food and agriculture industries and groups.

The Commissioner of Agriculture provides support staff, office space, and administrative services for the Task Force.

The Minnesota Task Force meets five to eight times each year. During these meetings, presentations are made by knowledgeable speakers on current topics in food safety and defense, including the state’s Food Protection Rapid Response Team, the Food and Agriculture Sector Criticality Assessment Tool, Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards, Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards, the Pet Event Tracking Network, the FDA Reportable Food Registry, and FSMA.

Beyond enlightening itself, the Task Force coordinates educational efforts about various aspects of food safety; providing advice and coordination to state agencies; serving as a source of information and referral for the public, news media, and other entities concerned with food safety; and making recommendations to the U.S. Congress, the Minnesota legislature, and others about appropriate actions to improve food safety.

“The Task Force is also a vehicle for the MDA to implement the provisions of FSMA related to stakeholder participation, outreach, education, and training for the new rules,” Dr. Scimeca says. “Additionally, the Task Force plays an important role as the bridge between officials of federal, state, and local food regulatory agencies, industry, academia, and consumers as the U.S. moves toward implementation of an integrated food safety system.”

An incentive for state task forces was initiated in 2003 with FDA’s launching of the Food Protection Task Force grant, now making available to state food protection task forces up to $10,000 for five years, awarded under the umbrella of support for conferences, scientific meetings, and other food safety activities.

The purpose of such grant-funded events is to provide a forum for all stakeholder’s of the food protection system; assist in adopting or implementing the Food Code and other food protection regulations; and promoting the integration of an efficient statewide food safety/defense system that maximizes the protection of public health through prevention, intervention, and response, including the early detection and contamination of foodborne illness.

Using these FDA funds since the grant was established, and also private funds before then and currently, the Minnesota Task Force has sponsored one or two conferences or workshops each year since 2000 focusing on current food safety or defense issues and concerns.

“Our Task Force offers opportunities to stakeholders to gain new knowledge that may not be offered in any other format or venue,” Dr. Scimeca points out.

“Our overarching achievement is the long-standing establishment of a tripartite collaborative effort that includes industry, government, and academia with the goal to advance food safety and defense in the state of Minnesota,” Dr. Scimeca relates. “Minnesota is well-recognized nationally for this strong tripartite partnership. A secondary benefit has been the facilitation of establishing relationships within each of these sectors. For example, the federal, state, and local governmental connectively within our state is seen as a model for other states.”

These inter-sector relationships that have been forged over time serve Minnesota extremely well, Dr. Scimeca emphasizes. “Whenever the time comes for the sectors to collaborate, be it for investigating a foodborne disease outbreak, developing food safety and regulatory training for small and medium companies, collaborating in teaching college students how the food safety and public health system works, or hosting foreign governmental officials, Minnesota excels,” he boasts.

Leake, doing business as Food Safety Ink, is a food safety consultant, auditor, and award-winning journalist based in Wilmington, N.C. Reach her at [email protected].