According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the FDA announced on September 16 a new cooperative agreement with the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) related to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) to provide critical information to help plan and carry out implementation of a national produce safety rule, in partnership with state regulatory agencies.

The cooperative agreement will provide the funding and support necessary to determine the current foundation of state law, and develop a timeline for successful implementation once the rule is finalized.