UTTC Integrated Food Safety Initiative for American Indian Agencies, Businesses and Community Members

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: A. American Indians are at high risk for foodborne illness due to diabetes and other chronic diseases. B. Culturally relevant competency based food safety curriculum and certification is lacking in the American Indian communities. C. American Indian Sovereign Nations served by UTTC have not adopted the FDA Food Code. Foodservice on tribal lands may not meet health and safety standards due to a lack of regulatory power. The UTTC Integrated Food Safety program is dedicated to working with Tribal members and others to share safe food in our homes, at celebrations and powwows and in our businesses. The goal is to provide culturally sensitive, scientifically based, food safety training and education resources. The bridge grant will be used to strengthen the proposal and maintain the momentum of the food safety program efforts that reach into the American Indian Community. A break in funding streams and staffing patterns would slow the adoption process for individual participants and tribal governance.

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APPROACH: The UTTC Integrated Food Safety program is dedicated to working with Tribal members and others to share safe food in our homes, at celebrations and powwows and in our businesses. The goal is to provide culturally sensitive, scientifically based, food safety training and education resources. The bridge grant will be used to strengthen the proposal and maintain the momentum of the food safety program efforts that reach into the American Indian Community. A break in funding streams and staffing patterns would slow the adoption process for individual participants and tribal governance. Collaboration with Tribal environmental health officers and Indian Health Services environmental health specialists will guide the development of foodservice culturally sensitive training and certification. <P>

PROGRESS: 2006/09 TO 2008/08<BR>
OUTPUTS: 1. Review, evaluate and revise the objectives included in proposal 2006-02381, UTTC Integrated Food Safety Initiative for American Indian Agencies, Businesses and Community Members. Tribal partners, environmental health professionals and agency personnel reviewed and evaluated the food safety program objectives as submitted. The January 2007 proposal included microbial research in childcare settings, foodservice food safety training, Indian country consumer food safety program and Tribal college food safety coursework. The January 2008 proposal, Being Food Safe In Native American Communities included educational research, Extension food safety training for consumers and the foodservice industry and Tribal college food safety coursework. Neither proposal was selected for funding. Critical components of each proposal have become continuing efforts with funding through the endowment program and equity grants. 2. Partner with a University based food safety expert, PhD, nutrition, food science, food safety or related field. A partnership was developed with the SDSU Extension Food Safety Specialist to address the common food safety issues found in Native American communities in North Dakota and South Dakota. The Tribal governments served by United Tribes Technical College (UTTC) include land masses and communities in both states. The common food safety issues included concerns for food handling practices in childcare settings, foodservice worker training, food safety resources for families and research that would clarify education and training. UTTC is a two year college focusing on Associate of Arts degrees in vocational fields, including nutrition and foodservice. Partnering with a University provides the faculty and graduate student staff to develop and conduct the research component. 3. Strengthen and resubmit the National Integrated Food Safety Proposal. Integrated Food Safety Initiative for American Indians in North Dakota and South Dakota was submitted in January 2007. Being Food Safe In Native American Communities was the 2008 proposal. Neither proposal was chosen for funding. 4. Develop, disseminate and assess science based food safety education that will lead to increased knowledge of food safety concerns and adoption of recommended practices with the American Indian communities served by UTTC. Collaboration with Tribal sanitarians, health officers and Indian Health Services established program priorities. The National Restaurant Association ServSafe training materials and national exam provided the educational materials taught to 171 foodservice workers in 3 tribal communities and on the UTTC campus, 73 percent of the audience was Native American, 54 percent passed the National Serve Safe exam. Class participants included casino staff, school foodservice staff, senior meal site cooks, powwow food vendors, private restaurant staff, college foodservice staff, childcare staff, jail and prison staff and environmental health professionals. Food safety training materials were provided to tribal environmental health professionals who use the materials for food safety programs they teach in their local communities. <BR> PARTICIPANTS: Principal Investigator, Patricia E. Aune, UTTC Land Grant Food Safety Educator and Joan Hegerfeld SDSU Extension food safety specialist identified shared concerns for the Native American populations living on reservations in ND and SD. They proceeded to develop the proposals submitted to NIFSI. Aune continued to provide food safety education to tribal foodservice staff. The training programs included a 20 hour hands-on training program designed for the tribal cooks and childcare staff that would benefit from activity based skill development. The nine hour lecture, DVD, and power point based program was more appropriate for casino staff, and experienced foodservice managers. Annette Broyles, Nutrition and Foodservice Instructor has taught the food protection class and food science class since 2004. Annually she has increased the hands-on activities and experiments. Collaborators and contacts include the UTTC student and campus services department, North Dakota State University Extension, South Dakota State University Cooperative Extension, Mountain Plains Region Food Distribution Program and Women Infants and Children programs on tribal lands. <BR> TARGET AUDIENCES: The tribal communities targeted include: Standing Rock Sioux Tribe; Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa; Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation; Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate; and Spirit Lake Nation. Tribal health officers and Indian Health Service dietitians were the advisory group, recruited participants and found teaching spaces in tribal communities. Indian Health Service and the Reservation Food Distribution Program reviewed and evaluated all materials. The ND Department of Health, environmental health division review materials and promoted educational programs. ServSafe training supported by the project involved employees from the following organizations: six different casinos, numerous daycare programs, private restaurants, Head Start and WIC programs, senior meal sites, disability service programs criminal justice centers, prisons, grocery store staff, Tribal diabetes programs, college foodservice and powwow food vendors. American Indian Communities in ND were targeted for this food safety program. Training materials were distributed to Indian communities in SD, MT, MN, WY, NE and WI. Classroom instruction included an activity enhanced Food Protection 3 credit class and a Food Science 3 credit class. Both classes were also taught on-line. <BR> <BR>
IMPACT: 2006/09 TO 2008/08<BR>
Workshop evaluations indicated the average participant serves more than 141 meals per day. Forty-one percent indicated they learned a great deal by participating in the training program. When asked what practices they plan to do more often fifty percent said they will check food temperatures, improve cooling procedures, test sanitizer concentration, use gloves reheat properly and log temperatures. Activity based food safety education involved youth from the campus based elementary school in a variety of food preparation and safety activities. Good handwashing procedures are taught in each of the classrooms at the beginning of the school year with additional handwashing activities during health fairs and community events. Tribal health officers promote the food safety classes to foodservice workers, food vendors and childcare workers in their respective communities. The officers see visible improvement in food handling procedures after participation in the food safety classes and workshops. Other changes participants plan to make: practice ServSafe for everyday lifestyle; send new co-workers to workshops like this; clean the dishwasher more often; sanitize more; retrain a lot of employees on correct handwashing; and put HACCP plan in place.
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PROGRESS: 2006/09/01 TO 2007/08/31<BR>
OUTPUTS: The bridge grant revised objectives and related outputs: 1. Review, evaluate and revise the objectives included in proposal 2006-02381, UTTC Integrated Food Safety Initiative for American Indian Agencies, Businesses and Community Members. Tribal sanitarians, Indian Health Service Environmental Health professionals, and other agency personnel reviewed and evaluated the food safety program objectives as submitted. Stakeholder recommendations and the partnership with South Dakota State University (SDSU) food safety specialist and SDSU microbiologist led to major changes in the goals and objectives. The proposal submitted in January 2007 included microbial research in childcare settings, foodservice food safety training, Indian country consumer food safety program and Tribal college food safety coursework. 2. Partner with a University based food safety expert, PhD, nutrition, food science, food safety or related field. A partnership was developed with the SDSU Extension Food Safety Specialist to address the common food safety issues found in Native American communities in North Dakota and South Dakota. The Tribal governments served by United Tribes Technical College (UTTC) include land masses and communities in both states. The common food safety issues included concerns for food handling practices in childcare settings, foodservice worker training, food safety resources for families and microbiological research that would clarify the education and training to be provided. UTTC is a two year college focusing on Associate of Arts degrees in vocational fields, including nutrition and foodservice. Partnering with a University provides the faculty and graduate student staff to develop and conduct the research component. 3. Strengthen and resubmit the National Integrated Food Safety Proposal. A new proposal, Integrated Food Safety Initiative for American Indians in North Dakota and South Dakota, was submitted in January 2007. It was not approved for funding. The food safety education program is needed in Indian Country so strengthening a proposal for 2008 submission became a priority. 4. Develop, disseminate and assess science based food safety education that will lead to increased knowledge of food safety concerns and adoption of recommended practices with the American Indian communities served by UTTC. Collaboration with Tribal sanitarians, health officers and Indian Health Services will establish program priorities. This objective is the focus of year 2, (September 1, 2007 to August 31, 2008). Plans are to continue foodsafety training for foodservice workers in the Tribal communities. UTTC faculty members with evaluation specialties have reviewed the food safety programs and are providing continuing guidance as the program develops. <BR> PARTICIPANTS: Project Director Pat Aune, .4FTE has continued the review and development of the food safety education program. Partner organizations, South Dakota State University Cooperative Extension Food and Nutrition Specialist, Joan Hegerfeld and Dr. Sanjeev Anad, SDSU professor of food microboliology partnered in the development of the food safety proposal submitted in January 2007 (not funded). Indian Health Service dietitian, Mary McCormick reviewed the developing proposal. Tribal sanitarian, Verlee White Calfe-Sayler sponsored training programs, recruited participants, and reviewed training materials. <BR> TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences included American Indians living on reservations in North Dakota and South Dakota. The proposal includes more emphasis on childcare workers, and families with young children. <BR> <BR>

IMPACT: 2006/09/01 TO 2007/08/31<BR>
Partnership with South Dakota State University (SDSU) Cooperative Extension is strengthening research capabilities of the Tribal College. Native American foodservice personnel, Indian Health Service workers and others are utilizing the science based, culturally distinct food safety resources developed and distributed by UTTC. Training program outcomes are in the preliminary stages. Tribal sanitarians have noted improvements in food handling practices.