Weights and Measurements are responsible for inspecting the thousands of pumps in the state to make sure the octane rating is right — among many other things. Kofford said many owners’ manuals are based on cars driving at sea level and Utah is far above sea level. He explained the air is less dense at Utah elevations than at lower altitudes, which means the engine draws in less air during combustion. Up here, 85-octane is just fine for most cars.

“You’re still getting that fuel in there, you just don’t have so much pressure,” Kofford said. “And so, it’s not forcing the engine to have pre ignition or combustion problems in the cylinder.”

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced that California, Florida, Utah and Wisconsin have entered into domestic mutual reliance agreements with the agency. These mutual reliance agreements facilitate a coordinated effort between the FDA and individual states with goals to reduce human foodborne illness outbreaks, reduce duplication of regulatory oversight and increase public health protection by focusing on areas of higher risk. 

“Foodborne illness outbreaks are largely preventable but can have devastating consequences for consumers,” said Erik Mettler, Assistant Commissioner for Partnerships and Policy in the FDA’s Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA). “The FDA is committed to keeping Americans safe. As part of our commitment, we are using these partnerships to strengthen our relationship with our state regulatory partners and improve industry compliance with applicable food safety requirements to reduce foodborne illness outbreaks.”

These new mutual reliance agreements help the FDA work in cooperation with the states of California, Florida, Utah, and Wisconsin to rely on, coordinate with and leverage one another’s work, data and actions to achieve a safer national food supply. As envisioned in the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the Partnership for Food Protection and the New Era of Smarter Food Safety blueprint, the mutual reliance agreements will enhance the existing relationships with states and government counterparts, moving the nation toward an Integrated Food Safety System.

“A strong, integrated system is essential to a safe food supply. Mutual reliance between the FDA and individual states is one example of the many actions the agency is taking to address our nation’s increasingly complex food production and distribution systems,” said Michael Rogers, Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Human and Animal Food Operations in the FDA’s ORA. “We expect that as more states sign mutual reliance agreements, it will help reduce redundancy and duplication of effort, optimize the impact of our collective oversight and allow us to build on the long-standing relationships that we have with our state regulatory partners. This is truly a step forward towards achieving a seamless integrated food safety system between federal and state regulators.” 

The FDA will collaborate with partner states on data sharing, risk prioritization, inspections, outbreak investigations, development and monitoring of key metrics and laboratory capacity, among many other key focus areas. The domestic mutual reliance framework provides opportunities for the FDA and partners to jointly identify needs to better protect the public and leverage work from other regulatory programs. In addition, it will provide knowledge to build quality management systems and infrastructure to support national regulatory standards, including those related to resource allocation, training, outreach and information exchange. 

FSMA was signed into law in 2011 and enables the FDA to focus on the prevention of foodborne illness rather than primarily reacting to problems after they occur. The Act provides the FDA with authority to achieve higher rates of compliance with prevention and risk-based food safety standards. In addition, it provides the FDA with the authority to better respond and contain food safety concerns when they do occur.  

Additional Resources: 

• FDA: Domestic Mutual Reliance 
• Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)
• New Era of Smarter Food Safety

Media Contact: 

Amanda Turney, Public Affairs Specialist, U.S. Food & Drug Administration, 301-796-2969

Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, products that give off electronic radiation, and for regulating tobacco products.

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The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) has received funds for an Emergency Disaster Relief (EDR) loan program to aid Utah’s farmers and ranchers who have been negatively affected by the extreme drought conditions. 

“Utah’s current extreme and prolonged drought conditions have been devastating for our agricultural producers,” Gov. Cox said. “These farmers and ranchers need real solutions and we are committed to helping in every way we can. Authorizing money from Go Utah will provide necessary aid to those who truly need it.” 

In an effort to help producers stay in business, the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity (Go Utah) is providing $5,000,000 from the Industrial Assistance Account to fund an EDR loan program that will be administered by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food under their Agriculture Resource Development Loan (ARDL) Program. Eligible agricultural producers can apply for EDR loans of up to $100,000 to help reimburse financial and other losses they have experienced due to the drought, such feed costs or loss of livestock. The seven year loans will be interest-free for the first two years and will not require collateral from the agricultural producer. 

“This year has hit Utah’s farmers and ranchers hard,” said Craig Buttars, UDAF Commissioner. “We are hopeful that these loans will be a financial bridge that will allow producers to keep their operations going so that they will continue to benefit not only Utah’s rural economies but all Utahns who enjoy local agricultural products. I would like to thank Governor Cox and his team for their support in making this relief possible.” 

Applications will be accepted September 13, 2021 – April 1, 2022 or until funds are depleted. To learn more about the EDR loans and to apply, click here.

In celebration of the centennial anniversary of the Utah Department of  Agriculture and Food (UDAF), UDAF will be hosting an interactive butter making exhibit at the  Utah State Fair. Through this exhibit, the Department will invite fair visitors to learn more about  the farm-to-fork process and UDAF’s role in the food production process.  

“Events like this are a great opportunity to connect families and children and to learn more about what it takes for food to make its way from the farm to your dinner table. We hope that you’ll join us in celebrating this milestone and learning more about the Department’s role in the everyday lives of all Utahns.” Says UDAF Commissioner Craig Buttars.“  

The Department recognizes the important role of agriculture in the state’s heritage as well as its importance in the state’s future; educational events like this help UDAF fulfill its mission as a state agency to promote the healthy grown of Utah agriculture.  

The Utah State Fair will be held September 9-19 at the Utah State Fairpark.  A map of the Utah State Fairpark can be found here and fair hours can be found here. The UDAF exhibit will be located next to the Wildlife Building on the south side of the park.

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