Increasing and Improving Conformance with Retail Food Programs in the East Metro Health District

Gwinnett County Board Of Health, Lawrenceville GA

Investigators

Abstract

ABSTRACT Participation in the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (Program Standards) serves to develop and enhance an effective food safety systems in a unified way that reduces or eliminates foodborne illness or injury. The mission of the East Metro Health District (EMHD) is protect and improve the health of our community by monitoring and preventing disease; promoting health and well-being; and preparing for disasters. Therefore, EMHD enrolled in the Program Standards as method to achieve its mission. Participation in this cooperative agreement would be most supportive of EMHD?s mission. The specific aims are to: 1. Achieve greater conformance with the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (Program Standards) by achieving the remaining two Standards. This will be done by: a. Enhancing existing foodborne illness and defense preparedness and response protocols managed by the collaborative efforts of EMHD?s Environmental Health and Epidemiology Departments (Standard 5). b. Creating and maintaining documentation and tools to monitor staffing, equipment, and budgets to achieve and execute an effective and efficient risked-based food service program. (Standard 8). 2. Develop strategies for improving upon Standards that have been achieved that can be shared and duplicated by other agencies such as: a. Improvement in the new Food Safety Inspection Officer (FSIO) Training as gaps have been highlighted over the past year (Standard 2). b. Creating a more uniform inspection program through continuous education (Standard 4). EMHD will develop a new inspectional software system to better conform to the Program Standards that allows for more effective and efficient inspections and data analysis. This new data system serves as an innovative method to maintain and develop the food safety program as required by advancements and growth in food production and food service in our communities.