Ri Department of Health; Center For Food Protection; Strategy to Advance Conformance With The Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards

Summary/AbstractRhode Island Department of Health Center for Food ProtectionTitle: Advancing Conformance with the Voluntary National Retail FoodRegulatory Program Standards (VNRFRPS) (U18)Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number: RFA-FD-17-007The Rhode Island Department of Health proposes to develop, implement and improveupon the retail food program to achieve significant conformance with the VoluntaryNational Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (VNRFRPS). The program will bebased on best practices, and, at the end of the three years, there will be an infrastructurein place that is effective, efficient, and focused on food safety hazards. Ultimately, therewill be a reduced risk of foodborne illness and public health will be protected.A Supervising Environmental Health Food Specialist in the Center for Food Protectionwill be responsible for managing the VNRFRPS under the direction of the PrincipalInvestigator and ensure progress towards conformance with the nine elements of thenational retail standards, which include: the Regulatory Foundation; Trained RegulatoryStaff; Inspection Program Based On HACCP Principles; Uniform Inspection Program;Foodborne Illness and Food Defense Preparedness and Response; Compliance andEnforcement; Industry and Community Relations; Program Support and Resources; andProgram Assessment. The CFP Compliance Evaluation/Standardization Officer andEpidemiologist will work in a variety of roles to ensure that staff are trained, resourcesare leveraged and the retail program is aligned with other work. Other staff funded willprovide administrative, programmatic, and IT support.The three year plan to meet the standards includes ongoing assessment and updates tothe strategic plan based on accomplishments, new developments, and evaluation toensure full alignment with the VNRFRPS. There will be ongoing training of staff,development of policies and protocols, improved analysis and management of data,progress reports, internal and external audits, collaboration within and outside thedepartment, and a continuous quality improvement program that is sustainable at theend of the project.RI will share lessons learned, aim for transparency, and make every effort to benefitother regulatory programs and FDA. The State intends to support FDA in this endeavorand will have a positive impact on public health and the reduction of foodborne illness inand out of state.