First District Health Unit Advancing Conformance With Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards 2017

Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number: RFA-FD-17-007 Funding Agency: Department of Health and Human ServicesVoluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards First District Health Unit Minot, NDProject Summary/AbstractThis is a request to the Department of Health and Human Services and Food and Drug Administrationfor a cooperative agreement grant, RFA-FD-17-007, to support a three year strategic plan for the FirstDistrict Health Unit (FDHU), a local regulatory agency located in Minot, North Dakota, to work towardsconformance with the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards. The retail foodregulatory program of the FDHU is a critical component of its core mission to protect and improve thehealth and well-being of the citizens of the district. By aligning the FDHU?s retail food regulatoryprogram with the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards, improvements willbe developed and implemented to improve food handling processes and establish a framework that isadaptable to the ever-changing conditions of the retail food industry. The FDHU?s retail foodinspection safety officers have completed the initial self-assessment to recognize which componentsare in compliance with the Retail Standards Program and are ready to implement their strategic planworking to fully meet all components of Standards 1, 7, and 8 over the course of the next three years.Standard 1 will involve updating the FDHU food regulations to adopt changes making their food codevirtually identical to the FDA Model Food Code. Standard 7 will involve engaging industry and thepublic in outreach endeavors regarding education and knowledge of food safety practices to reducethe prevalence of risk factors that contribute to foodborne illness. Standard 8 will provide FDHU fieldstaff with the necessary equipment to conduct thorough and proper retail food establishmentinspections and providing real-time inspection reports to food service establishments. During thissame timeframe, a framework will be established for conformance with Standards 2, 3, 5 and 9,developing a standardized training program for inspection staff, modifying the FDHU inspection formto identify risk factors and food code interventions, developing a process for receiving, recording andfollowing up with foodborne illness complaints, and conducting a baseline risk factor study of retailfood establishments under the purview of FDHU. These changes align directly with the mission of theFDHU and will positively impact food handling processes in the communities we serve.