Richard Moore Alliance for Advancing a National Integrated Food Safety System Senator Massachusetts Senate FOA RFA-FD-11-031 President, NCSL Tim Rice Project Summary/Abstract EIllxiencouitsivLeeDgisirlaecttiovre Information System Staff Chair, NCSL About NCSL William Pound Executive Director The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) is the nation's preeminent bipartisan organization of, by and for state legislatures. Since its founding in 1975, NCSL has been dedicated to serving all state legislators and legislative staff, through research, publications, consulting assistance, meetings and seminars, and electronic services. NCSL's goals are to improve the quality and effectiveness of state legislatures and promote policy innovation and communication among state legislatures. Objectives To facilitate long-term improvements to the national food safety system by enlightening state legislatures and policy makers on federal, state and local food safety policies and practices and to communicate regulatory changes and technological advancements to the national, state and local food safety system to state legislatures. Methods to be Employed State Statute Tracking Service. Legislative Tracking Service. Best Practices Report on Food Safety. Meeting at NCSL Annual Meeting. Publications: Article in State Legislatures Magazine. Web Brief: AudioConference on Food Safety-related topic, Technical Assistance to State Legislatures. Meeting and Presentation at a national food safety conference or other relevant meeting. Information clearinghouse. Insight and intelligence on state policy concerns. Administrative Responsibilities.
Alliance for Advancing a National Integrated Food Safety System - FOA RFA-FD-11-031 National Conference of State Legislatures Project Narrative Food-borne illness continues to be a major public health challenge in the United States, causing an estimated 48 million illness episodes and 3000 deaths annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Despite many triumphs in improving food safety, progress in recent years has stalled, with the incidence of food-borne infection remaining steady during the past decade. Recent outbreaks linked to spinach, peanut butter, eggs, and the recent Escherichia coli outbreak that originated in Europe have heightened concerns among state legislators, state agency officials, and the public in general, who wonder if the U.S. Food Safety System can effectively protect the public from food-borne outbreaks. This project will provide state legislators, legislative staff, state agency officials and state policy makers the technical and scientific knowledge necessary to develop and adopt policies that reduce food-borne illness in the U.S., by ensuring the state and local agencies have the legislative authority to regulate the food safety system and to take action to enforce food safety regulations, and the necessary resources to ensure the state food safety systems remain sustainable and viable today and in future years. State and local agencies that lack the proper authorization and resources to implement a food safety program leave their constituents vulnerable to food-borne illness outbreaks.
