Alaska Advancing Conformance with the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards

The Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (VNRFRPS), in which Alaska has been enrolled continuously since 2005, provide a framework for measuring and improving the performance of retail food programs in the United States. This framework allows jurisdictions flexibility to account for how they accomplish their prevention goals, but outlines foundational elements of a food safety regulatory public health system critical to accomplishing its mission, and requires systematic collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of a variety of data. Alaska’s ability to conform to and apply the standards is currently hindered by an information management system (IMS) that does not allow the program to systematically collect, analyze, and use data to improve its program or delivery of services and achieve its goals. Alaska is proposing to design an IMS that would simplify manual processes, consolidate the locations of critical data, and develop reporting capability that is consistent with the program’s needs and objectives, allowing the program the ability to gather and assess program-specific data to improve the quality and delivery of its work efforts. More importantly, though, an effective IMS would facilitate the development of a robust surveillance system to detect and prevent foodborne diseases and outbreaks in Alaska, helping to ensure that food is safe throughout the farm to fork continuum. As well, the project identifies funding to sustain conformance with the VNRFRPS, including funding to allow participation at regionally-sponsored training and seminars, and the Conference for Food Protection.