Delaware Division of Public Health Office of Food ProtectionState Food Prevention Task Force ConferenceProject Summary/AbstractTo promote an efficient statewide food safety system that maximizesprotection of public health through early detection and containment of foodborne illness. The Food Protection Task Force Grant provides the fundingfor Delaware's Food Safety Expo, with the sole purpose of educatingstakeholders to reduce foodborne illness in the state of Delaware. The grantwould also provide funding for the quarterly meeting of the Delaware FoodSafety Council which brings together stakeholders of the regulatory,industry, academic, and consumer communities.
Delaware Division of Public Health Office of Food Protection State Food Prevention Task Force Conference Project Narrative The State Food Protection Task Force Grant provides the funding for Delaware's Retail Food Safety Expo which brings together the Department of Health and Social Services, retail food employees, other Government food service workers, Delaware Food Safety Council as well as Federal Organizations such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The annual symposium focuses on improving education and communication between Public Health, and retail food safety employees. This grant will provide the funding for the annual meeting as well as quarterly meetings of the Delaware Food Safety Council. The 2011 expo will focus on the Delaware Food Code, which will be updated to the 2009 Food Code for the first time since 1999 and will focus on educating retail food establishment personnel on the changes. The goal of the expo is also to provide knowledge based speakers and lectures, and to allow stakeholders to ask questions and make comments. The 2011 conference will also include food defense strategies to promote the prevention of foodborne outbreaks. These strategies will encompass the steps of prevention, intervention and response at a state level while utilizing educational programs such as FDA's ALERT and FIRST. The State Food Protection Task Force Grant has been granted in previous years for the funding of the Retail Food Safety Expo. Attendance at the expo is usually 100-125 stakeholders. The annual expo has also been the venue for the presentation of the Governor's award for Excellence in Retail Food Safety.
