Cooperative Agreement Summary: California Animal Food Regulatory Program Standards Maintenance

The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) received a $300,000 Cooperative Agreement award from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Research program (CFDA 93.103) effective September 20, 2025, with a completion date of June 30, 2028. Under this agreement, CDFA's Commercial Feed Regulatory Program (CFRP) will continue its participation in the Animal Food Regulatory Program Standards (AFRPS) maintenance phase, building upon its full implementation certification achieved in February 2024. The primary products and services include sustained collaboration with the FDA and other state animal food regulatory programs, participation in national standards meetings, provision of sampling and follow-up support for the Laboratory Flexible Funding Model Agreement, and maintenance of a state auditing program compliant with SMG-8076 audit requirements.

These efforts are designed to strengthen CDFA's existing inspection, enforcement, and feed emergency response programs while advancing a nationally integrated food safety system. The long-term objectives encompass enhanced information sharing and interagency collaboration, increased high-quality comprehensive inspections and investigations, and the reduction of animal feed contamination incidents and associated foodborne illness risks. The cooperative agreement enables CDFA to leverage its established expertise in commercial livestock feed regulation—including manufacturing, distribution, and labeling oversight—to contribute meaningfully to continuous improvement of animal food safety standards across the nation.