RHODE ISLAND?S PLAN FOR INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AND INNOVATION THROUGH CONFORMANCE WITH THE MANUFACTURED FOOD REGULATORY PROGRAM STANDARDS (MFRPS)

Grant Proposal AbstractTitle: Rhode Island?s Plan for Infrastructure Development and Continuous Improvementand Innovation through Conformance with the Manufactured Food Regulatory ProgramStandards (MFRPS)Funding Opportunity Announcement Number (FOA): RFA-FD-18-001The RI Department of Health (RIDOH), Center for Food Protection (CFP), proposes to maintainand sustain a risk-based manufactured food regulatory program in RI to conform to nationalstandards. In addition, RIDOH will work to facilitate long-term improvements and innovationsthrough the maintenance of a Rapid Response Team (RRT). This program will reduce foodborneillness and injury by identifying potential prevention practices, and will ultimately protect the publicand industry by minimizing the time between agency notification of a human food contaminationevent and implementation of effective control measures.A MFRPS Coordinator will be responsible for managing the grant under the direction of thePrincipal Investigator to ensure conformance with the ten (10) elements of the national programstandards. Similarly, a Rapid Response Team (RRT) Coordinator will be responsible formanaging the grant and ensuring all objectives are met. All projects and work products will beshared with FDA and other states to support the national integration effort. RI will remain activelyinvolved in national initiatives related to enhancement of MFRPS and will provide continuedassistance to newer state programs who may benefit from RI?s experience.In addition to internal auditing, RI will work with the FDA Office of Partnerships and FDA/ORAOffice of Operations Audit Staff to identify areas for improvement. The end result of the five (5)year grant award will be: (1) a manufactured food program in RI that is able to sustainconformance with MFRPS and contribute to a nationally integrated food safety system; and (2) aRapid Response Team that effectively respond to foodborne illness outbreaks and other foodemergencies, and establishes national best practices and tools to improve other states responsesto food emergencies.