Update and implement a strategic plan to direct activities to advance conformance with the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards

Research and Related Other Project Information7. Project Summary/AbstractThe North Dakota Department of Health, Division of Food and Lodging (the Department),promotes integrated and uniform retail food regulatory programs managed and enforced bystate, local, and tribal government agencies statewide. In addition to the Department, whoregulates and inspects retail food establishments including restaurants, retail food stores, smallfood processing plants, child-care and school foodservice kitchens, this authority is delegated tonine local, district, and city public health units located throughout the state of North Dakota. TheDepartment provides general oversite and guidance over state and local food safetyprogrammatic activities including license and inspections, compliance, and enforcement actionsas well as training, code interpretation, and standardization of state and local inspection staff.The Department is focused on reducing risk factors known to cause foodborne illness outbreaksassociated in manufactured and retail food settings; therefore, it is critical to establishprocedures, protocols, and evidence-based intervention strategies that improve food safety. TheDepartment benefits from using the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory ProgramStandards (Retail Program Standards) as a framework to prioritize program goals and targetresources for continuous improvement in order to enhance and improve food safety practices inretail food settings operating in North Dakota. The specific aims in this proposal include: 1)update and implement a strategic plan to direct activities to advance conformance with theRetail Program Standards that can be shared and duplicated by local and tribal regulatoryprograms across multiple jurisdictions; 2) demonstrate the ability to adequately train regulatoryinspection staff, meet FDA standardization procedures, and establish a quality assuranceprogram; and 3) improve data acquisition, quality, reporting capabilities, and data sharing usinginnovative technology solutions and electronic communication systems.Deployment of a web-based, electronic license and inspection information management systemhas advanced efforts in integrating the state?s regulatory retail food safety informationmanagement system with all nine local regulatory program data systems. Program integrationusing modern technology will enhance the ability of data sharing, improve data quality, andadvance methods of communication amongst state and local regulatory retail food programs.