National regulatory uniformity has long been a point of contention among the retail food industry, regulators and consumers. Adoption of the FDA Model Food Code has historically been the keystone in achieving national uniformity. However, a missing element to achieving this uniformity was a model for the program structure necessary to effectively administer the Code. In response, FDA, with input from all stakeholders, developed the Recommended National Retail Food Regulatory Standards that establish a basic foundation for the design and management of a retail food protection program. These DRAFT Standards were endorsed by the 1998 Conference for Food Protection and were piloted in several jurisdictions throughout the country. Recently, recommendations from the pilot participants were incorporated into a revised document. FDA has begun a national initiative to enlist volunteers to conduct self-assessments of their regulatory programs against the "revised" Standards in hopes of achieving national uniformity.
Learning Objectives: Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, the participants should be able to: 1. Understand and describe the need for national uniform standards to ensure food safety; 2. Understand and describe the requirements for each of the "revised" nine program standards; and 3. Explore the advantages of becoming involved in this national food safety initiative
Keywords: FDA, Standards
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.