Ri Department of Health, Office of Food Protection, Strategy to Advance Conforman

Summary/AbstractRhode Island Department of Health Office of Food ProtectionTitle: Advancing Conformance with the Voluntary National Retail FoodRegulatory Program Standards (VNRFRPS) (U18)Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Number: RFA-FD-12-011The 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 five 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 Compliance Evaluation/Standardization Officer in the Office of Food Protection will beresponsible for managing the VNRFRPS under the direction of the Principal Investigatorand ensure progress towards conformance with the ten elements of the national retailstandards, which include: the program's regulatory foundation; staff training; inspection;program uniformity; foodborne illness; food defense preparedness and response;compliance and enforcement; industry and community relations; resource management;and program assessment and quality assurance.The five 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.