The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is dedicated to keeping consumer trust in food safety, along with the help of our regulatory partners. With this goal in mind, I am happy to announce that three additional states have formalized their domestic mutual reliance partnerships with FDA: Minnesota,1 Virginia,2 and Iowa.3 This brings our total to seven states that have signed domestic mutual reliance partnership agreements1 with FDA to advance collaborative activities to help ensure continued access to safe foods.
Building a culture of food safety is vital to our shared mission to protect consumers and reduce foodborne illness. Domestic mutual reliance,5 part of FDA's New Era for Smarter Food Safety initiative, is a key component of the Integrated Food Safety System.6 It enables FDA and states with comparable regulatory systems to rely on each other for a safer national food supply.