FDA Outlines Resources for Food Producers Affected by Severe Weather

A new page will help producers identify available federal and state resources.

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WASHINGTON — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday released a new online resource page for human and animal food producers affected by flooding and severe weather incidents, such as hurricanes or tropical storms.

This page is meant to replace the individual announcements the agency issued ahead of severe weather such as the one for Hurricane Ida, to help those adversely impacted.

This new page will help food producers identify some of the federal and state resources available to those who may be harvesting, mixing, storing, or distributing grains and other foods after experiencing a severe weather incident.

This resource page also includes state contact information for the FDA’s Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA) Emergency Response Coordinators and a list of FDA resources to help industry evaluate the safety of flood affected food crops for human consumption and information on reconditioning adulterated crops into animal food.

Each state’s Department of Agriculture may have state-specific requirements regarding any attempt to clean, process, test, and sell/use crops in animal food. The FDA will also continue working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), state partners, and associations to answer broader questions that may arise about using flood-affected crops for animal food.

Producers are encouraged to check this resource page before and after experiencing flooding or severe weather incidents for the latest information.         

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