Vermont Food Protection Task Force Conference Grant

Response to Food Protection Task Force Conference Grant (PAR-09-123) Project Abstract The Vermont Department of Health (VDH) is applying for continued funding to support a state food protection task force with the goal of improving food safety and protection from farm to table in Vermont. It has been over 10 years since the last multidisciplinary food safety group disbanded in Vermont. Since then, there has been no organized forum for industry, regulators, academia, and other service providers to work together to improve food safety. Main objectives of creating a task force include identifying food safety needs for Vermont food producers and processors, establishing an advisory group for regulatory issues and changes, improving communication between stakeholder groups and state agencies, and increasing availability of food safety education. Vermont obtained FDA Food Protection Task Force Conference Award funding for a stakeholder summit held on March 22, 2012. This was a necessary first step to bring representatives from the food producing groups together to elucidate food safety needs and begin to strategize on ways to address them. The Planning Committee is seeking five additional years of task force funding to continue the important work of establishing and supporting a state food safety task force in Vermont.