The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the signing of a domestic mutual reliance (DMR) partnership agreement with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture—the first such agreement to include both human and animal food. The work will focus on establishing key metrics, data and information sharing, and official establishment inventory reconciliation and maintenance. 

The purpose of the agreement is to document and formalize a commitment to ongoing coordination and collaborative efforts between FDA and the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. The agreement will support FDA's implementation and enforcement of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as amended. FDA responsibilities under the Act include the regulation of human and animal food that is manufactured/processed in the state of Minnesota. FDA and Minnesota share statutory responsibilities for regulating human and animal food, such as food manufactured/processed by facilities subject to the requirements in 21 C.F.R. Part 117 (Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventative Controls for Human Food) and 21 C.F.R. Part 507 (Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-Based Preventative Controls for Food for Animals).

The agreement covers a period of three years from the date of signature. This period will give FDA and Minnesota sufficient time to measure the program outcomes that have resulted from the agreement, modify it if warranted, and renew it with the consent of both parties.