LCGHD Standard 9: Program Assessment and Remedial Instruction Through Animation

Since beginning work on the FDA Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards in September of 2013, the Lake County General Health District (LCGHD) has been working diligently to achieve progressive compliance. In an effort to protect the public health by assuring the safety of our food supply, the LCGHD proposes a comprehensive five-year plan which begins with conducting a baseline evaluation of restaurants and grocery stores for CDC risk factors that may cause foodborne illness. Short animated educational videos will be written and produced in cooperation with nearby Lake Erie College. These videos will be used as intervention strategies that can be accessed on a smart phone, computer and on a dedicated food safety website available to operators everywhere to reduce risk factors within food establishments. A second risk factor study will occur to evaluate the success of the project. In addition, LCGHD proposes to increase the knowledge and effectiveness of our food safety Sanitarians by becoming FDA standardized and providing high quality training opportunities, including FDA Central Region Food Protection Education Seminar and the Conference for Food Protection. Further, other elements of the proposed project include conducting a second self-assessment and making significant progress on Standards 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, which together are components of a strong food inspection program. A greater understanding of HACCP principles, uniformity of the inspection process, reduction of foodborne illness and more effective compliance and enforcement will have significant impact on the inspection staff, the regulated establishments and the community at large.