The National Environmental Health Assoc. Approach to Reducing Foodborne Illness via Promotion; Communication; and Support of Retail Food Safety Stakeholders in Collaboration with Partner Associations

Enhanced collaboration and a harmonized national approach to food safety complements theNew Era of Smarter Food Safety, a modernized approach, involving stakeholders at all levels of the foodsafety supply chain in the reduction of foodborne illness. We, the National Environmental HealthAssociation (NEHA), will collaborate with three national associations to assist retail food regulatoryprograms in reducing foodborne illness. Our specific aims are: 1) Develop a national Food Code adoptionstrategy; 2) improve the approach, competency, and food safety culture amongst regulators; 3) increaseenrollment, engagement, conformance in the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory ProgramStandards (VNRFRPS); 4) improve foodborne outbreak investigation methods; 5) increase the number ofestablishments that have well-developed and implemented Food Safety Management Systems; and 6)develop a strategy to enhance communication and better tell our story. Collectively, the four partnerorganizations are the Retail Food Safety Association Collaborative, or the Collaborative. The Collaborative will work to develop and promote a Food Code Adoption Tool Kit to assistretail food regulatory programs in adopting the most current version of the FDA Food Code. We willdevelop an interactive map which identifies the states? respective version of the Food Code, to assist inevaluation and targeting interventions. NEHA and the Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) willimprove foodborne illness outbreak response by creating webpages that serve as the primary,cumulative source of information on existing resources, tools, and trainings. NEHA and AFDO will alsocreate a series of virtual, customizable presentations for jurisdiction needing training templates. Aguidance document will be created by NEHA and AFDO to promote the practice of active managerialcontrol, increasing the number of food establishments with effective programs. NEHA will support ourassociation partners, the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) and theConference for Food Protection (CFP), to increase regulatory programs? implementation of effectiveintervention strategies, promote enrollment in VNRFRPS, and conduct virtual meetings withstakeholders to identify and overcome barriers to risk-based inspections. We will enhance communications by providing web content designed to promote Collaborativesuccesses, outputs and recognized best practices. Additionally, we will develop at least tworecommendations to FDA on emerging food safety issues, publish at least one scholarly article intendedto quantify and characterize successes, challenges and lessons learned. The Collaborative will leverageeach partner organization to raise awareness of food safety principles, enhance compliance with rulesand regulations, promote best practices and work towards a reduction in foodborne illness.