Georgia recently welcomed visitors from Ireland as part of a novel Inspector Exchange Program co-hosted by the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) and Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (AFM).
As part of an international exchange, two regulators from the Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) spent a week in Ireland in early October and two of Ireland’s Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (AFM) inspectors came to Georgia later in the month.
Pictured (L to R) are Dale Crammond, Counsellor Agriculture and Food Embassy of Ireland, Ann Scanlon, Superintending Veterinary Inspector for DFA, GDA Commissioner Gary Black, Damien O’Meara, Dairy Controls and Export Certification for DFA, and Shane Stephens, Ireland’s Consul General with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
“The Inspector Exchange Program with Ireland intertwines the knowledge, skills and best practices between our two agencies, sharing information with a global perspective,” said Gary W. Black, Agriculture Commissioner for the State of Georgia. “This experience has allowed us to discuss new and ongoing import and export initiatives, focusing on current challenges and promoting agriculture here in the U.S.
and overseas.”
The vision began last year and took several months to coordinate. GDA inspectors traveled to Dublin, Ireland on Oct. 1 for a ten-day tour where they had a first-hand look at Ireland’s artisan dairy products, beverage production, meat processing, bakeries and supermarkets.
“One of our primary focuses was to gain a better understanding of each other’s food safety programs from a variety of types of regulated facilities, as well as foundational elements,” said Natalie Adan, division director of Food Safety at the GDA. “We’ve been able to do a peer review of existing policies and procedures, which will, in turn, strengthen each other’s food safety programs.”
Ensuring food safety is a complex and ever-evolving task, and international collaboration can play a critical role in achieving this goal. The Inspector Exchange Program between Georgia and Ireland is an excellent example of how regulators from different countries can come together to share knowledge, expertise, and best practices in the field of food safety. Along with policy and procedural improvements, it’s also essential to have reliable tools and technologies to detect potential foodborne hazards. The toxin test kits are one such tool that can quickly and accurately detect harmful substances in food samples, enabling regulators to take appropriate action to protect consumers. By leveraging the latest innovations and working together, we can continue to improve the safety and quality of our food supply.
Ireland’s Minister of Agriculture, Jeff Creed partnered with Commissioner Black and the GDA to develop the exchange program. AFM hopes to expand Ireland’s sheep industry into a viable trade with the U.S. The GDA welcomed Superintending Veterinary Inspector Ann Scanlon and Dairy Controls and Export Certifier Damien O’Meara from AFM. The two have extensive background knowledge of Ireland’s meat industry and spent a week helping to broaden and share best practices with the GDA. Their visit to Georgia included meeting state and federal officials at the GDA in Atlanta, touring laboratories, shellfish facilities, dairy farms and milking plants, and a sheep processing facility.
The importance of an integrated food safety system means taking an international approach to enhancing food safety for consumers on every continent. As the exchange program concludes here in Georgia, the GDA and AFM plan to continue building and maintaining interagency collaboration. The two organizations hope to generate national and international awareness by sharing the successes and cooperative learning experiences gleaned from the program.