Alaska Advancing Conformance With The Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards.

Project Summary/AbstractThe Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (VNRFRPS), in whichAlaska has been enrolled continuously since 2005, provide a framework for measuring andimproving the performance of retail food programs in the United States. This framework allowsjurisdictions flexibility to account for how they accomplish their prevention goals, but outlinesfoundational elements of a food safety regulatory public health system critical to accomplishingits mission, and requires systematic collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of avariety of data.Alaska's ability to conform to and apply the standards is currently hindered by an informationmanagement system (IMS) that does not allow the program to systematically collect, analyze,and use data to improve its program or delivery of services and achieve its goals.Alaska is proposing to design an IMS that would simplify manual processes, consolidate thelocations of critical data, and develop reporting capability that is consistent with theprogram's needs and objectives, allowing the program the ability to gather and assessprogram-specific data to improve the quality and delivery of its work efforts. More importantly,though, an effective IMS would facilitate the development of a robust surveillance system todetect and prevent foodborne diseases and outbreaks in Alaska, helping to ensure that food issafe throughout the farm to fork continuum.As well, the project identifies funding to sustain conformance with the VNRFRPS, includingfunding to allow participation at regionally-sponsored training and seminars, and the Conferencefor Food Protection.