Concerning: Establishing a Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards Alliance in the Conference for Food Protection

Whereas, a 2015 AFDO Resolution (2015-4) recommended the creation of a Retail Food Regulatory Program Alliance modeled after the Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Alliance (MFRPA) to improve the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (VNRFRPS) revision process, communication, enrollment and assistance to local and state retail food regulatory programs, and

Whereas, AFDO supported an Ad Hoc joint committee co-chaired by the Conference for Food Protection Chair and the AFDO President to review the VNRFRPS and Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards (MFRPS), identify areas of potential harmonization between these standards, and make recommendations for potential revisions in both sets of program standards and other steps as necessary to advance the regulatory program standards, and

Whereas, AFDO believes the VNRFRPS is an important component for achieving a nationally integrated food safety system, and

Whereas, AFDO believes an established forum operating in similar fashion to the MFRPA to provide training and assistance to state and local retail food regulatory programs to help them comply with the VNRFRPS can greatly improve retail regulatory programs, and

Whereas, AFDO believes a Retail Food Regulatory Program Alliance would significantly improve enrollment, training, communication and be more representative of state, local, tribal and territorial retail food regulatory programs, and

Whereas, the Conference for Food Protection is well recognized for providing state, local, tribal and territorial retail food regulatory officials a voice in the food safety standards development process, and

Whereas, CFP has a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with FDA to establish the working relationship to: (1) place greater emphasis on food safety at the point of ultimate sale to the consumer through retail food service (including but not limited to restaurants, institutional feeding operations, soup kitchens, etc.), retail food stores, and food vending operations; and (2) be more successful in promoting food safety, mutual respect, and uniformity, and

Whereas, the Conference for Food Protection has created a standing committee that is dedicated exclusively to the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (VNRFRPS), and

Whereas, the Conference for Food Protection has dedicated a portion of its Biennial Meeting to sharing information about and promoting enrollment in the VNRFRPS, therefore, be it

Resolved, AFDO again recommends the creation of a Retail Food Regulatory Program Alliance comparable to the Manufactured Food Regulatory Alliance, and be it further

Resolved, that this Alliance be administered through the Conference for Food Protection and that meetings for this Alliance be conducted in the odd number years when the Conference for Food Protection Biennial Meeting is not held, and be it further

Resolved, that FDA provide support and funding for the development of this Alliance to assure it meets the objective of advancing the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards.