Moving Towards Conformance to The Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (vnrfrps)

Project SummaryWisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (WDATCP), Bureau of Foodand Recreational Business (BFRB) requests $70,000 for each of the next three years to assist WDATCPwith moving toward conformance with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) VoluntaryNational Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (VNRFRPS). FDA developed the VNRFRPS withthe explicit intent to achieve uniformity among the nation?s regulatory programs responsible forretail food protection. The foundation of FDA?s effort focused on active managerial control of thoserisk factors most responsible for foodborne disease outcomes. Additionally, the FDA wanted toestablish a methodology in which active managerial controls would be realized.The Bureau of Food and Recreational Business enrolled in VNRFRPS July 2016. In December 2016,WDATCP completed a baseline assessment. The assessment revealed several gaps in WDATCP retailfood program. In response to the gaps, WDATCP developed a strategic improvement plan designedto move the program towards compliance with VNRFRPS. It is the long-term objective of WDATCPto not only move WDATCP toward compliance with VNRFRPS but set in place a culture whereby theidentification and reduction of risk factors responsible for foodborne disease outcomes becomecommonplace.This cooperative agreement provides an opportunity for WDATCP to develop the necessary toolsand resources that will help in moving WDATCP toward conformance with VNRFRPS. WDATCP?simprovement plan focuses on the following objectives: ? Finalize the 2015 WI Food code adoption via the administrative rulemaking process. ? Revise Standard 2 training protocols that would allow for active tracking of training. ? Begin to develop a quality assurance system that includes self-assessment field reviews for each employee performing retail food and/or food service inspection work. ? Develop trend and outcome analysis targeting complaints, foodborne outbreaks, contributing factors and environmental antecedents to foodborne diseases. ? Conduct analysis of compliance and enforcement with a particular interest in assessing the effectiveness of the program. ? Research ways to improve the alignment of facility types in HealthSpace with facility types consistent with Standard #9.