FLEXIBLE FUNDING MODEL - INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE FOR STATE MANUFACTURED FOOD REGULATORY PROGRAMS (U18)

Project Summary/AbstractForColorado?s Manufactured Foods Program Flexible Funding Model ? Maintenance for State Manufactured Food Regulatory ProgramsIt is the intent of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Divisionof Environmental Health and Sustainability (CDPHE-DEHS) to use this opportunity tomanage and maintain conformance with the Manufactured Food Regulatory ProgramStandards by implementing the policies, procedures and protocols used by ourManufactured Foods Program staff when inspecting and regulating the manufacturedfoods industry in Colorado. Our goal is to ensure that staff working within the programis well trained, knowledgeable and will consistently and uniformly apply thatknowledge to the situations encountered while inspecting and providing technicalguidance, education and outreach to the regulated community. In 2015, theManufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards (MFRPS) allowed the foundation tobe created and CDPHE was able to develop its own Manufactured Foods regulatoryinspection program. The requirement for states to be in full conformance with theMFRPS as a condition of continued FDA contractual work and the need to apply thesesame standards to the State program will require the dedication of significantresources that are not currently available to Colorado?s program. We are movingforward using the standards to strengthen and improve our program by methodicallyeliminating the gaps and building a sound sustainable programmatic foundation.Maintaining a solid program foundation will continue to help improve the program nowand provide guidance for the future.The goal is to have the work conducted by Colorado?s program be recognized for itsquality and consistency related to inspections, laboratory analytical findings, industryoutreach and staff training. This will allow the agency to meet its goal of Safe Foodprovided to Colorado residents and guests as well as to ensure that manufactured foodproducts that leave the state are safe. The agency is committed to help achieve FDA?sgoal of an integrated food safety system and ensure that Colorado?s inspections,investigations, laboratory findings and program products are recognized as equivalentto the work product of other states or the FDA that are using the MFRPS as the basisfor their programs.