Advancing Conformance With The Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program.

Mesa County Health DepartmentRFD-FD-15-018Research & Related Other Project Information7. Project Summary/Abstract Mesa County, Colorado is located on the western border of the state. With 147,811 residents, it isWestern Colorado's most populated county, and also acts as the region's commerce and healthcare hubserving a population exceeding 300,000. The tourism industry continues to grow in the region (contributingmore than $270 million in direct spending annually), thus the hospitality industry is an important contributor tothe local economy. The Mesa County Health Department (MCHD) licenses 750 retail food establishmentsannually, including temporary event vendors and mobile units. Between 2010 and 2014, MCHD received 938complaints from the community regarding retail food establishments that were followed up on by anenvironmental health specialist (EHS). The people who live, work, and play in Mesa County will benefit fromadvancing the conformance of the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (VNS),aligning inspection and training programs to address the most common practices and behaviors that lead tofoodborne illness. These efforts will ensure that retail food establishments are safer for consumers, decreasethe incidence of foodborne illness at area establishments, and promote the health and wellness of communitymembers. Requested funding will be used to meet five of the VNS standards by the end of the funding period inAugust 2020. At the end of the project, MCHD will have an operating structure that will have the ability toquickly identify problems and trends that can be addressed to reduce the occurrence of foodborne illness riskfactors cited during inspections. Data will be used to characterize trends in the retail food industry anddocument the outcomes of MCHD interventions. MCHD's vision when the proposed aims are achieved is forMesa County to become an empowered food safe community utilizing methods, technologies, and preventativeinterventions that reduce foodborne illness risk factors at retail food establishments to improve communityhealth and wellness.