In Fiscal Year 2001, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) was charged with implementing a monitoring program to collect information regarding the incidence, number, and species of important foodborne pathogens and indicator organisms on domestic and imported fresh fruit and vegetables. USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) was appointed to undertake the creation and implementation of such a program, known as the Microbiological Data Program (MDP). MDP began collecting and analyzing samples in April 2001. MDP operations ended in December 2012 due to the elimination of program funding.