Conference for Food Protection

The CFP Certification of Food Safety Regulation Professionals (CFSRP) Workgroup has identified specific initiatives pertaining to the training and professional development of regulatory retail food safety inspection officers that require continued Conference deliberation. A 2014-2016 CFP Certification of Food Safety Regulations Professional (CFSRP) Workgroup should be created by the Conference to continue the work on these initiatives.

A national model that addresses training and the professional development of regulatory retail food safety professionals is essential to enhancing the effectiveness of the nation's retail food protection system. The model training plan and log, field training worksheets, and joint field training process presented in the CFP Field Training Manual for Regulatory Retail Food Safety Inspection Officers (Field Training Manual), approved during the 2008 Conference are only a part of a professional development continuum that is needed to ensure regulatory retail food safety professionals have the knowledge and skills to effectively conduct inspections of retail food stores, restaurants, and/or institutional foodservice facility types.

The Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards (VNRFRPS), Standard 2 training and standardization model should be viewed as a working document that will need to be updated and revised to meet the ever-changing retail food safety environment. The Conference for Food Protection provides the mechanism to:

1. Maintain and update this national training model;

2. Explore additional training and/or assessment needs for regulatory retail food programs; and

3. Build consensus among all retail food safety stakeholders.

that a re-created 2014-2016 Certification of Food Safety Regulation Professionals (CFSRP) Workgroup be charged with the following:

Charge 1: Collaborate with the FDA Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, the FDA Division of Human Resource Development, and the Partnership for Food Protection Training and Certification Workgroup (PFP TCWG) to:

1. Continue review of all initiatives: existing, new or under development; involving the training, evaluation and/or certification of food safety inspection officers. This collaborative working relationship will ensure the sharing of information so as not to create any unnecessary redundancies in the creation of work product or assignment of tasks/responsibilities.

2. Review the results of the FDA, NEHA, and IFPTI review of the Retail Food Curriculum based on the Retail Food Job Task Analysis (JTA) to determine if changes are needed in the Standard 2 curriculum. Identify any gaps and recommendations for change and review the time frame for completion of Steps 1 through 4 for new hires or staff newly assigned to the regulatory retail food protection program.

3. Determine if the Conference for Food Protection Field Training Manual for Regulatory Retail Food Safety Inspection Officers and forms need to be revised based on the findings of the PFP TCWG and the Retail Food Safety Specialist Job Task Analysis.

Charge 2: Work in collaboration with the FDA to:

1. Assist with questions regarding the comments contained in the 2012 Workgroup's pilot project report on the CFP website that might trigger revisions of the VNRFRPS, Standard 4 Uniform Inspection Program.

2. Assess if any changes will be needed in Standard 2 to provide better alignment with Standard 4 of the VNRFRPS.

Charge 3: Report back the Workgroup's findings and outcomes to the 2016 Biennial Meeting of the Conference for Food Protection.