Arkansas Department of Health 4815 West Markham Street, Slot 46 Little Rock, Arkansas 72205-3867 Telephone (479) 661-2000 Governor Mike Beebe Paul K. Halverson, DrPH, FACHE, Director and State Health Officer MANUFACTURED FOOD REGULATORY PROGRAM STANDARDS (MFRPS) PROJECT SUMMARY This grant opportunity would allow the Manufactured Food Program to make great strides toward meeting the FDA Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards. The funding would allow critical systems needed for a successful Manufactured Food Regulatory Program to be developed and implemented quickly. If the grant is not approved the systems and resources requested would take ADH years to obtain and develop. The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) currently does not have a state inspection program for manufactured food. ADH does contract with FDA annually to conduct 200 manufactured food firms. Based on the 509 firms currently on the ADH inventory, we are asking for 2 positions to conduct the additional inspections anticipated by the implementation of the state program. To enable ADH to adequately track program activities the development of an inspection database, and a means of conducting electronic inspections is being requested. The funding opportunity would be used as seed money to start a manufactured food inspection program for the state of Arkansas. ADH Food Protection Section would implement systems to develop resources to partially meet MFRPS Standards 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8. Standard 1: Enforcement State Regulations equivalent to FDA MFRPS Appendix 1 (excluding dietary supplements). Standard 2: Attendance to trainings to increase inspector knowledge Development of inspection data collection system to track inspections and violations Standard 3: Development of Inspection system based on risk Standard 4: Development of a data system to track manufactured food establishments inventory Development of data system to track inspections, violations, and samples Standard 5: Development of systems to document investigations of alleged food-related illnesses Development of a system to contact manufacturers electronically Standard 8: ADH will be able to add 2 inspectors to conduct the state manufactured food inspections
ARKANSAS MANUFACTURED FOOD PROGRAM NARRATIVE The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) is responsible for ensuring that all foods prepared in and sold in the state of Arkansas, except those under United States Department of Agriculture jurisdiction, are safe, wholesome, and labeled properly. ADH Environmental Health Branch conducts inspections and regulatory activities that help ensure food produced, processed, or sold within the state is safe.
