Retail Food Program Standards Infrastructure Support

Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Food Program Standards MSDH- Office of Food Protection RFA-FD-12-012The Mississippi State Department of Health Office of Food Protection (MSDH FP), with thecollaboration of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), will advance efforts for a nationallyintegrated food safety system through conformance with and the advancement of the RetailFood Program Standards (VNRFRPS). The ultimate goal is to reduce or eliminate theoccurrence of illnesses and deaths from foods produced at the retail level, through innovativeapproaches to gaining active managerial control.Key project leaders will be MSDH Food Program Director and Food Program Specialists.Evaluation of equipment and training needs will be through collaboration with FDA Regionalpartners and ongoing audits of field staff and records. Concentration will be on identification offoodborne illness risk-factors, innovative intervention strategies and building public confidencein food protection programs by enhancing uniformity within and between regulatory agencies.The diverse population of retail food facilities in Mississippi creates numerous impediments tocommunication with the food service industry. Utilizing the training, equipment and suppliesprovided through this funding opportunity, MSDH will be able to further develop and sustain itsRetail Food Program and the VNRFRPS.Objectives for this opportunity are as follows: Reduce the incidence of foodborne illness occurrences at retail food facilities Provide trainings using innovative methods and strategies, on risk-factor identification and intervention strategies Provide tools to field inspectors for use in industry training and community outreach for improved industry and consumer confidence Provide retail food inspectors with appropriate tools to accurately identify risk-factors Development of a sustainable infrastructure for continued retail food safety Increase compliance with VNRFRPSMethods for achieving these goals involve enhancing staff development for the retail foodinspectors (Standard #2). Specifically, identifying out-of-control risk factors and appropriateinnovative intervention strategies, and uniform processes and procedures, will be the priority(standard 4). This will also include evaluating policies and procedures, and providing staff withthe equipment and supplies (Standard #8) they need to effectively reduce the risk of retailfoodborne illness outbreaks through active managerial control.Outreach to industry and the community (Standard #7) will also play an integral part of this planthrough presentations and after-action findings reports.