Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (WDATCP), Bureau of Food and Recreational Business (BFRB) requests $70,000 for each of the next three years to assist WDATCP with moving toward conformance with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (VNRFRPS). FDA developed the VNRFRPS with the explicit intent to achieve uniformity among the nation?s regulatory programs responsible for retail food protection. The foundation of FDA?s effort focused on active managerial control of those risk factors most responsible for foodborne disease outcomes. Additionally, the FDA wanted to establish a methodology in which active managerial controls would be realized. The Bureau of Food and Recreational Business enrolled in VNRFRPS July 2016. In December 2016, WDATCP completed a baseline assessment. The assessment revealed several gaps in WDATCP retail food program. In response to the gaps, WDATCP developed a strategic improvement plan designed to move the program towards compliance with VNRFRPS. It is the long-term objective of WDATCP to not only move WDATCP toward compliance with VNRFRPS but set in place a culture whereby the identification and reduction of risk factors responsible for foodborne disease outcomes become commonplace. This cooperative agreement provides an opportunity for WDATCP to develop the necessary tools and resources that will help in moving WDATCP toward conformance with VNRFRPS. WDATCP?s improvement plan focuses on the following objectives: ? Finalize the 2015 WI Food code adoption via the administrative rulemaking process. ? Revise Standard 2 training protocols that would allow for active tracking of training. ? Begin to develop a quality assurance system that includes self-assessment field reviews for each employee performing retail food and/or food service inspection work. ? Develop trend and outcome analysis targeting complaints, foodborne outbreaks, contributing factors and environmental antecedents to foodborne diseases. ? Conduct analysis of compliance and enforcement with a particular interest in assessing the effectiveness of the program. ? Research ways to improve the alignment of facility types in HealthSpace with facility types consistent with Standard #9.
The multiplicity and quantity of foodborne diseases require a focused and consistent approach in order to reduce their occurrence. The Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards define what constitutes a highly effective and responsive program for the regulation of foodservice and retail food establishments. These standards provide a foundation and system upon which all regulatory programs can build and improve through a continuous improvement process. The focus is on the reduction of risk factors known to cause or contribute to foodborne illness, with the ultimate goal of reducing the occurrence of those factors through the promotion of active managerial control.
