Write a strategic plan to advance conformity to the Retail Program Standards and promote an integrated and uniform retail food program.

North Dakota State Department Of Health, Bismarck ND

Investigators

Abstract

Research and Related Other Project Information 7. Project Summary/Abstract The North Dakota Department of Health, Division of Food and Lodging (the Department), promotes integrated and uniform retail food regulatory programs managed and enforced by state, local, and tribal government agencies statewide. In addition to the Department, who regulates and inspects retail food establishments including restaurants, retail food stores, small food processing plants, child-care centers, and school food-service kitchens, this authority is delegated to nine local, district, and city public health units located throughout the state of North Dakota. The Department provides general oversite and guidance over state and local food safety programmatic activities including license and inspections, compliance, and enforcement actions as 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 outbreaks associated in retail food settings; therefore, it is critical to establish procedures, protocols, and evidence-based intervention strategies that improve food safety. The Department benefits from using the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (Retail Program Standards) as a framework to prioritize program goals and target resources for continuous improvement in order to enhance and improve food safety practices in retail food settings operating in North Dakota. The specific aims in this proposal include: 1) develop a strategic plan that outlines goals and project milestones for achieving conformance with the Retail Program Standards that can be shared and duplicated by local and tribal regulatory programs across multiple jurisdictions; 2) demonstrate the ability to adequately train regulatory inspection staff and meet FDA standardization procedures; and 3) improve data acquisition, quality, and reporting using innovative technology solutions and electronic communication systems. Recent deployment of a web-based, electronic license and inspection information management system has advanced efforts in integrating the state?s regulatory retail food safety system with all nine local data systems. Program integration using modern technology will enhance the ability of data sharing, improve data quality, and advance methods of communication amongst state and local regulatory retail food programs.