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 In this section:

                Domestic Mutual Reliance

Domestic Mutual Reliance

                        Domestic Mutual Reliance Benefits for Industry and Consumers
          FDA and State Counterparts
          Domestic Mutual Reliance Work in Human and Animal Food East Division 1
          Domestic Mutual  Reliance Work in Human and Animal Food East Division 2
          Domestic Mutual Reliance Work in Human and Animal Food East Division 3
          Domestic Mutual Reliance Work in Human and Animal Food East Division 4
          Domestic Mutual Reliance Work in Human and Animal Food East Division 5
          Domestic Mutual Reliance Work in Human and Animal Food East Division 6
          Domestic Mutual Reliance Work in Human and Animal Food West Division 1
          Domestic Mutual Reliance Work in Human and Animal Food West Division 2
          Domestic Mutual Reliance Work in Human and Animal Food West Division 3
          Domestic Mutual Reliance Work in Human and Animal Food West Division 4
          Domestic Mutual Reliance Work in Human and Animal Food West Division 5
          Domestic Mutual Reliance Work in Human and Animal Food West Division 6
          Domestic Mutual Reliance Work in Division of West Coast Imports (DWCI) Home
          For Federal, State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Officials
          Integrated Food Safety System (IFSS) Programs and Initiatives
          Domestic Mutual Reliance
          FDA and State CounterpartsDomestic Mutual Reliance FDA and State Counterparts
  
  	
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Mutual Reliance Banner of Family eating meal together
To help facilitate human and animal food safety programs, the FDA strives to maintain strong working relationships with state counterparts, thereby embodying the concept of domestic mutual reliance. This is accomplished through information sharing, reliance on state inspections and investigations, and compliance activities.

Multiple staff within FDA work with our partners to achieve domestic mutual reliance. Below are descriptions of some of those roles.

FDA Employee Role
			General DescriptionProgram Division Director
			Oversees all field operations within a DivisionDirector of Compliance
			Oversees all compliance, enforcement and recall operations within a DivisionDirector of Investigations
			Oversees all inspectional and investigational operations within a DivisionRecall Coordinators
			Manage firm recallsConsumer Complaint Coordinators
			Manage consumer complaintsState Liaisons
			Serve as primary contact for state cooperative agreements, contracts, information sharing, general inquiries, AFPRS, MFRPS, Produce Safety Grant, and Tissue Residue GrantEmergency Response Coordinators
			Serve as primary contact for emergencies and outbreaks; work closely with FDA Coordinated Outbreak Response Network (CORE)Compliance Officers
			Review inspections, investigations, firm responses, and sample results to develop strategies that facilitate the oversight of corrective actions at firms that are deemed to be out of complianceInvestigators
			Conduct inspections, investigations, and sample collections



Inspections

An establishment inspection is an official examination of a facility to determine its compliance with the laws and regulations administered by the FDA. The FDA investigator conducts the establishment inspection at any reasonable time and in a reasonable manner. The inspection covers the establishment’s facilities, equipment, processes, products, and records as necessary to determine compliance with the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. It may be initiated with or without notice and ordinarily is conducted during regular business hours. The investigators use the Investigations Operations Manual, or IOM, as a reference guide for procedures and inspectional activity information. The specific Compliance Programs, assignments, and the investigator’s supervisor define the scope of the investigation. FDA investigators conduct both domestic and international inspections.

Additional Resources

Inspection Classification Database Search
	Inspections (FDA Data Dashboard)Recalls

Recalls are actions taken by a firm to remove a product from the market. They may be conducted on a firm's own initiative, by FDA request, or by FDA order under statutory authority.

Additional resources:

Recalls of Foods & Dietary Supplements
	Recalls (FDA Data Dashboard)
	ORA Recall Coordinators
	Reportable Food Registry for Industry
	Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts
	Recall ResourcesConsumer Complaints

The FDA welcomes reports from consumers alerting the agency to problems with FDA-regulated products. These reports help ensure that products on the market are safe and properly manufactured, labeled, and stored. Every report is important to FDA. In each case, the FDA evaluates the information the consumer provides to determine how serious the problem is and what follow-up is needed.

Additional Resources:

Consumer Complaint Coordinators
	MedWatch: The FDA Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program
	Consumer Products Complaint System
	How to Report Product Problems and Complaints to the FDARapid Response Teams

Rapid Response Teams, or RRTs, are multi-agency, multi-disciplinary teams that operate using Incident Command System/National Incident Management System principles and a Unified Command structure to respond to human and animal food emergencies. RRTs work together to minimize the time between FDA notification of an emergency and implementation of control measures, and they are a key component of domestic mutual reliance.

FDA-State Interactions

The FDA works with states to bring non-compliant firms into compliance. States can immediately embargo product if FDA inspections finds adulterated product. States can act quickly when adulterated product is found using their own authorities such as embargoes, stop/sale powers, and/or licensing and registration suspension. FDA can seize adulterated product and enjoin firms when egregious conditions are found.

FDA contracts with states to perform inspections within the human and animal food industry. When doing so, state counterparts help complete annual workplan assignments. Their assistance helps alleviate the inspectional burden of FDA employees by leveraging resources.

State employees assisting with FDA workplan accomplishments are commissioned or credentialed. State liaisons monitor the status of commissioning or credentialing.

Additional resources:

Regulatory Program Standards
	Animal Feed Regulatory Program Standards (AFRPS)
	Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards (MFRPS)

                                                                                  Content current as of:
      08/06/2021Domestic Mutual Reliance

          
                        Domestic Mutual Reliance Benefits for Industry and Consumers
          FDA and State Counterparts
          Domestic Mutual Reliance Work in Human and Animal Food East Division 1
          Domestic Mutual  Reliance Work in Human and Animal Food East Division 2
          Domestic Mutual Reliance Work in Human and Animal Food East Division 3
          Domestic Mutual Reliance Work in Human and Animal Food East Division 4
          Domestic Mutual Reliance Work in Human and Animal Food East Division 5
          Domestic Mutual Reliance Work in Human and Animal Food East Division 6
          Domestic Mutual Reliance Work in Human and Animal Food West Division 1
          Domestic Mutual Reliance Work in Human and Animal Food West Division 2
          Domestic Mutual Reliance Work in Human and Animal Food West Division 3
          Domestic Mutual Reliance Work in Human and Animal Food West Division 4
          Domestic Mutual Reliance Work in Human and Animal Food West Division 5
          Domestic Mutual Reliance Work in Human and Animal Food West Division 6
          Domestic Mutual Reliance Work in Division of West Coast Imports (DWCI)
 
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