PROJECT SUMMARY
After decades of incremental changes to the food safety system, technological advancements
have ushered in a corresponding period of increased change for both food systems and food
safety. According to FDA’s most recent food safety initiative, the New Era of Smarter Food
Safety, many experts believe the pace of change will continue increasing over the next ten
years, perhaps even more than in recent decades. As old foods are reformulated, new foods are
created, new production and delivery methods are developed, and the entire system becomes
increasingly digitized, complexity for regulators is only going to increase.
The National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) project entitled A People-Centered,
Technology-Driven, Scientific Approach to Advancing Conformance with the Voluntary National
Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (Retail Program Standards) is intended to:
Objective 1: Work with FDA and project partners to develop, refine, and improve the
grant management system we developed to administer financial assistance to SLTT
retail regulatory food programs based on FDA's Retail Flexible Funding Model (RFFM)
vision.
Objective 2: Maintain the Self-Assessment and Verification Audit Online Course we
developed in partnership with FDA and expand its use and value to SLTT jurisdictions.
Objective 3: Establish the NEHA-NACCHO Mentor Academy to recruit and train a new
generation of mentors, expanding our capacity to meet the increasing demand for
expertise in the Retail Program Standards.
Objective 4: Work with CFP and FDA to host a biennial Retail Program Standards
Symposium and an annual Virtual RFFM Grant Year Kickoff Meeting, to engage current
and attract new enrollees in the Retail Program Standards.
These four objectives will advance the Integrated Food Safety System (IFSS) requirements
found in the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and support the goal of building New
Business Models and Retail Standardization in the New Era of Smarter Food Safety.
By supporting SLTT retail food regulatory programs in their work toward uniformity and
encouraging increased active managerial controls, we will assist the FDA with their goal of
“bending the curve” of foodborne illness by reducing the number of illnesses and related deaths.
