WASHINGTON —U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. announced at the White House today a formal agreement aimed at making the oversight of food more efficient and effective by bolstering coordination between the two agencies. The formal agreement outlines efforts to increase interagency collaboration, efficiency and effectiveness on produce safety and biotechnology activities, while providing clarity to manufacturers, according to a media release.

At the @WhiteHouse this morning, greeted by a great crowd of agricultural leaders from across the country – @NASDAnews, state & local leaders. Discussing ways to increase prosperity in rural America. pic.twitter.com/bRcizJUOCy

— Sec. Sonny Perdue (@SecretarySonny) January 30, 2018

“Today, Commissioner Gottlieb and I signed a formal agreement to promote coordination and the streamlining of capacities and obligations on shared concerns and jurisdiction,” said Secretary Perdue. “Congress passed the Food Safety Modernization Act and assigned responsibilities to the USDA and the FDA. The USDA has the knowledge and expertise to support the FDA’s work related to farming. We at the USDA have a motto: Do Right, and Feed Everyone. We believe this joint effort will help us move one step closer to that goal.”

The FDA and the USDA have worked closely over the years to oversee the nation’s food supply. The USDA oversees the safety of most meat, poultry, catfish and certain egg products while the FDA has authority over all other foods such as dairy, seafood, produce and packaged foods. The USDA and the FDA are partnering in many key areas, including the implementation of produce safety measures and biotechnology efforts.

“Secretary Perdue and I share a deep commitment to further strengthening our nation’s food safety system in the most effective and transparent way,” said FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D. “Over the last several months, the Secretary and I have worked closely and identified several areas where we can strengthen our collaboration to make our processes more efficient, predictable, and potentially lower cost to industry; while also strengthening our efforts to ensure food safety. This agreement not only formalizes this ongoing coordination, but presents a great opportunity to expand those efforts through better integration and increased clarity to the agriculture and food processing sectors. Our coordination with these sectors plays an integral role in helping to keep our nation’s food supply safe and secure.”

This agreement is the agencies’ newest initiative to expand those efforts and take new steps to streamline regulatory responsibilities and use government resources more efficiently to protect public health. It aims to increase clarity, efficiency and potentially reduce the number of establishments subject to the dual regulatory requirements of the USDA and the FDA. For example, when a facility, such as a canned soup facility, produces both chicken noodle soup and tomato soup, it is currently subject to regulation by both agencies. The agreement tasks both government organizations with identifying ways to streamline regulation and reduce inspection inefficiencies, while steadfastly upholding safety standards for dual-jurisdiction facilities. This can reduce costs on industry and free government resources to better target efforts to areas of risk.

The agreement also commits the USDA and the FDA to identify ways the agencies can better align and enhance their efforts to develop regulatory approaches to biotechnology, as each agency works to fulfill commitments outlined in the September 2016 National Strategy for Modernizing the Regulatory System for Biotechnology Products and the more recent Task Force on Agriculture and Rural Prosperity Report. These initiatives established a vision for increasing transparency, predictability and efficiency of the regulatory processes for biotechnology products.

The agreement also calls for the FDA and the USDA to enhance their collaboration and cooperation on produce safety activities. The FDA is implementing the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which shifts the food safety paradigm from one of reaction to prevention of foodborne illness. Under FSMA, the FDA coordinates with state and/or territorial government agencies, which will conduct most farm inspections under FSMA’s Produce Safety rule.

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Stiffer penalties would be possible for calling in hoax emergency calls under a bill introduced in the Kansas House in response to a deadly police shooting in Wichita.

The bill introduced Tuesday would allow for a murder prosecution if someone dies during a future “swatting” prank. Twenty-eight-year-old Andrew Finch was unarmed when he was killed last month as officers responded to a fake story about a shooting and kidnapping at his home.

Twenty-five-year-old Tyler Barriss, of Los Angeles, is accused of making the false call. Court documents say it stemmed from a small wager in a “Call of Duty” online video game tournament.

Barriss has been criminally charged with involuntary manslaughter, giving false alarm and interference with a law enforcement officer.

KANSAS CITY (AP) – Fire crews have rescued a 4-year-old boy after he was left in a running car that rolled into a Kansas City creek in near freezing temperatures.

Kansas City Fire Department Deputy Chief James Garrett says the child was “very lucky” crews were nearby Monday afternoon when the car was knocked into gear. The Kansas City Star reports that the car then rolled into Brush Creek while his mother was in a business. A person then flagged down a fire department rescue unit, and firefighters were able to knock out a window to pull the child from the submerged vehicle as temperatures dropped into the lower 30s.

Garrett says the child was taken to a hospital with his mother to be examined.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas House approved a bill that would toughen penalties in some drunken driving cases on the same day it approved allowing restaurants to serve alcohol earlier in the morning.

One bill would allow restaurants to begin serving alcohol at 6 a.m., rather than 9 a.m. Restaurants and bars would still stop serving at 2 a.m.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports supporters said the bill would bring the state in line with surrounding states, which attract breakfast and brunch business away from Kansas. The bill faced little opposition.

The other bill would toughen penalties in some fatal drunken driving cases, with the minimum for aggravated battery increasing from 38 months to 47 months and the minimum for involuntary manslaughter rising from 62 to 89 months.

Both bills still require Senate approval.

SALINE COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating a suspect on sexual battery allegations.

Just after 6:30a.m. Sunday police received a report from a girl in her late teen told police she was inappropriately touch by an adult make acquaintance without her consent while she was sleeping at his residence in the 1900 Block of Glendale Road, according to Salina police captain Mike Sweeney.

Police arrested Brian R. Hunter, 50, Salina, and booked him on requested charges of Aggravated Sexual Battery; Victim is physically powerless, according to the Saline County booking report.

GEARY COUNTY — Law enforcement authorities are investigating an aggravated robbery and asking the public’s help to identify suspects.

Just after 9p.m Sunday, three individuals walked into the Roadway Inn, 1001 West 6^th in Junction City and held the employee, with weapons, until they gained entry into the cash drawer, according to a media release.

The suspects took money from the register and the employee’s personal items.

On Tuesday police released security camera images including that of a lighter colored 1999-2004 Chevrolet Tahoe or GMC Yukon believed involved in the crime.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact Det. Mau with the Junction City Police Department or Junction City Geary County Crime Stoppers at 1-785-762-8477.