The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued the 2015 edition of the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (Retail Program Standards) that define the key elements of an effective retail food regulatory program for state, local, tribal, and territorial food regulatory agencies.
The Retail Program Standards provide recommendations for designing and managing these programs and recognition for programs that show progress in implementing the Standards. They help identify program areas in need of improvement and improve inspections and foodborne illness prevention strategies.
The Standards promote adopting science-based guidelines from the FDA Food Code to ensure a sound regulatory foundation. They also promote improving training programs to ensure local, state, tribal, and territorial staff have the necessary skills, knowledge, and abilities; implementing risk-based inspection programs; and developing outbreak and food defense surveillance plans, helping ensure a systematic approach to detecting and responding to foodborne illness or food contamination.
The 2015 edition of the Retail Program Standards includes several new worksheets to help regulatory programs assess how their programs align with the 2013 FDA Food Code and evaluate the consistency and effectiveness of their compliance and enforcement activities, as well as a verification tool to help independent auditors review such self-assessments.
The FDA encourages jurisdictions to enroll in the Retail Program Standards. Enrolling in the Retail Program Standards and working to improve their program allows a jurisdiction to apply for FDA funding to further assist their efforts.
