Federal Cooperative Agreement Award Summary

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) Food and Drug Protection Division received a $275,000 Cooperative Agreement from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the Food and Drug Administration Research program (CFDA 93.103), effective September 20, 2025, with a completion date of June 30, 2028. The award supports the NCDA&CS Animal Feed Program (NCAFP) in maintaining implementation of Animal Food Regulatory Program Standards (AFRPS) and participating in mutual reliance initiatives with the FDA to develop an integrated national food safety system.

Under this cooperative agreement, the NCAFP will deliver regulatory program standards maintenance and continuous improvement activities, including attending annual face-to-face meetings, participating in AFRPS committees and related initiatives, responding to violative product samples, and developing and implementing an auditing program. Additionally, the agreement requires collaboration with the FDA to design processes, procedures, and systems that integrate state-level animal food regulatory work into a nationally coordinated food safety infrastructure. These activities are designed to promote regulatory compliance, prevent foodborne illnesses, and strengthen the state and federal food safety system.