The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announed that California, Florida, Utah, and Wisconsin have entered into domestic mutual reliance agreements with the agency. These agreements facilitate a coordinated effort between the FDA and individual states with goals to reduce human foodborne illness outbreaks, reduce duplication of regulatory oversight, and increase public health protection by focusing on areas of higher risk, according to the FDA.
"Foodborne illness outbreaks are largely preventable but can have devasting consequences for consumers," said Erik Mettler, assistant commissioner for partnerships and policy in the FDA's Office of Regulatory Affairs, in a statement. "The FDA is committed to keeping Americans safe. As part of our commitment, we are using these partnerships to strengthen our relationship with our state regulatory partners and improve industry compliance with applicable food safety requirements to reduce foodborne illness outbreaks."
Related: FDA Releases Food Safety Blueprint; Regulatory Movement Amid the Pandemic.