To Organize Food Protection Task Force Meetings to Foster Communication, Cooperation, and Collaboration Within the State

Missouri has had a Food Safety Task Force (FSTF) for a number of years. During that time food safety and defense have been enhanced through the efforts of the FSTF. The FSTF has provided an educational opportunity to its members at least annually. At the meetings regulatory updates have been provided, academia has spoken on emerging food safety technologies and ‘local’ food safety professionals have presented on how their businesses have implemented food safety strategies. The meetings have clearly provided an opportunity for communication and collaboration. During the previous grant period members were asked to volunteer for various workgroups. The workgroups were assigned to discuss, develop and recommend changes to food safety policies in Missouri which would help meet manufactured and retail food national voluntary program standards. The membership had four different workgroups: food security, foodborne illness, food safety laws, and recalls. While some progress was made, the best practices documents and comprehensive reviews were projects that proved more demanding than the workgroups were able to tackle. That’s not to say there was no progress. There was progress and changes implemented as a result of the recall workgroup which drafted procedures and documents that were implemented as policy for the Department of Health and Senior Services and Local Public Health Agencies. In light of the challenges associated with the workgroup assignments and the time required it is believed that the mission of the FSTF could be met by restructuring the meetings. The restructuring will focus educational opportunities on core areas and allow the members of the FSTF to collaborate and discuss food safety strategies first hand with academia and fellow food safety professionals. Attendance at the annual meeting(s) has increased for the past few years. Where the meetings once were attended by anywhere from 20 to 40 food safety professionals, the most recent meeting had nearly 70 people present. The reason behind the increase in attendance is the emphasis on education that the meeting(s) now have. With the success that these most recent meetings have had, it will be the focus of future meetings to select a food safety topic, contact speakers or presenters and develop an educational opportunity for all food safety professionals.