Decreaseing the Relative Risk of Out-of-Compliance Foodborne Illness Risk Factor Rates in Douglas County, NE. - Specific Aim: The objective is to develop a targeted intervention designed to reduce the rate of the most
prevalent out-of-compliance foodborne illness risk factor in our community.
Background: The Douglas County Health Department (DCHD) has successfully completed Voluntary
National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standard audits for Standards 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, & 7. There are nine
VNRFRPSs. The Department is now focused on VNRFPS Number 9. Standard 9 applies to processes used
to measure the success of a jurisdiction’s program in reducing the occurrence of foodborne illness risk
factors to enhance food safety and public health in the community. Standard 9 has three requirements.
1. Ensure a risk factor study on “the occurrence of the five foodborne illness risks factors. 2. A written
analysis of the data and a report on the outcomes. 3. A targeted intervention strategy designed to assess
the occurrences of the risk factor factor(s) identified in the risk factor study. This study focuses on the
requirement number 3, a targeted intervention strategy designed to assess risk factor occurrence.
Preliminary Data: Preliminary analysis reveals 47.6 percent of CDC foodborne illness risk factors in
Douglas County NE establishments are contaminated utensils and equipment. Twenty-seven percent of
all out-of-compliance foodborne illness risk factors in Douglas County NE involve un-cleaned and un-
sanitized food contact surfaces, a subcategory of CDC risk factors.
Important Barrier: Our local response to the COVID 19 pandemic may alter timelines and field
inspection routines. In addition, an analysis of data from 1 July 2020 to 30 June 2021 may not show
significant rate change; given rates are currently declining. Discrete, measurable differences may more
likely occur over several years instead of shorter intervals (i.e., monthly, quarterly, biannual, etc.), based
on an analysis of 2015-2019 preliminary data. Therefore, data collection and analysis will extend
beyond the grant support period to 1.) mitigate COVID 19 effects on timelines and field inspection
routines and 2.) obtain more valid statistic to decide true differences.
Expected Outcome: Lower the rate of occurrence of un-cleaned and un-sanitized food contact surfaces
per inspection in Douglas County, NE.
