Conformance and Risk Reduction through Food Protection Program Standards Advancement - 2020 Vision

Northeast Texas Public Health District, Tyler TX

Investigators

Abstract

Program Summary The overall goal is to implement a renewed strategic action plan in 2016 develop enhanced policies and procedures across all standards of the VNRFRPS. These actions will be designed for routine review and continuous improvement striving to meet or surpass the verification audit on as many of the VNRFRPS as possible by the end of Fiscal Year 2020. Specific goals and objectives of this cooperative agreement that will be addressed over the next five years are: Program Standard 1 ? Regulatory Foundation. The desired outcome of this standard is to adopt a sound, science-based regulatory foundation for the public health program and the uniform regulation of industry. Program Standard 2 ? Trained Regulatory Staff A training policy and procedure will be developed for consistent progression through standard 2. Program Standard 3 ? Inspection Program Based on HACCP Principles. A written policy will use HACCP principles to focus on status of risk factors. A flow chart of inspection progression for corrective action and compliance will document where improvement is needed. Program Standard 4 ? Uniform Inspection Program. A written quality assurance program will be developed based on existing practice and refined to conform to the Standard. Program Standard 5 ? Food-borne Illness and Food Defense Preparedness and Response. Development of new Food-borne Illness and Food Defense Preparedness and Response procedure that meets the standard. Program Standard 6 ? Compliance and Enforcement. A clear and concise definition of risk factor violations must be written in policy. This new policy will encourage long term corrective actions for conformance and improvement in the retail food program. Program Standard 7 ? Industry and Community Relations. New innovative training opportunities will be implemented for active managerial control conformance. Program Standard 8 ? Program Support and Resources. The development of a complete equipment inventory list must be compiled for the maintenance and replacement of necessary equipment used by the retail food program. Program Standard 9 ? Program Assessment. Improvements and enhancements will assess and reduce the occurrence of food-borne illness risk factors in the Retail Food Program. Written procedures will be maintained and continuously reviewed to monitor trends.