Federal Cooperative Agreement Summary

The Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries received a $200,000 Cooperative Agreement from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Food and Drug Administration Research program (CFDA 93.103), awarded September 20, 2025, with a completion date of July 31, 2028. This award supports the development and maintenance of animal food regulatory program standards in accordance with mutual reliance initiatives. The department will establish and implement comprehensive standards across its regulatory operations while pursuing ISO/IEC 17025:2005 certification for its testing laboratory. Key deliverables include the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and improvements to sample collection, storage, transportation, and analytical capabilities through acquisition of new equipment and technologies.

The program leverages a designated team including the Division Director, Program Manager, Field Inspector Supervisor, Testing Laboratory Director, Quality Control Director, and Office Assistant to ensure full implementation and ongoing maintenance of animal food regulatory standards. These efforts directly support the safety and integrity of the U.S. animal feed supply by enhancing the department's testing laboratory operations and regulatory inspection capabilities. The funding addresses a critical gap in non-revenue-generating state animal feed programs by enabling equipment upgrades and technological improvements that would otherwise be difficult to fund through standard state appropriations.