Continued Enhancement of the WDA Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards to Ensure Sustainability

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The project “Continued Enhancement of the WDA Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards to Ensure Sustainability” is designed to ensure that the Wyoming Department of Agriculture, Consumer Health Services (WDA/CHS) continues to improve the state’s Manufactured Food Program. WDA/CHS has been in full implementation and full conformance with all ten standards since 2017. This project will address four (4) main goals. The first goal of this project is to ensure inspectors are adequately trained. This goal will ensure that WDA/CHS has the funding and personnel to continue to meet the Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards (MFRPS) and be part of an Integrated Food Safety System. The second goal of this project is to continually evaluate and implement Program Development. This includes reassessing the risk factor criteria used to determine risk assessments of facilities; continue utilizing the NFXDS system; evaluate state program equivalency status as compared to federal regulation and determine if regulation needs to be incorporated into state rule; expand and strengthen the state's Preventive Controls (PC) Program; equip staff to conduct all facets of their position and increase the scope of the sampling program with the Wyoming Department of Agriculture Analytical Services Laboratory. The third goal of this project is Software Development. The goal will ensure that WDA/CHS can work toward transitioning from the USAFS inspection system to the SAFHER inspection system. WDA/CHS intends to work with partners at AFDO and other user group states to develop and implement the SAFHER inspection program which will be replacing the USAFS inspection system. This system will assist in integrating with other state and federal partners. The fourth goal of this project is to continue offering outreach to our clientele. This goal allows WDA/CHS to continue developing and producing guidance information and training for clientele. WDA/CHS understands the importance of receiving feedback from stakeholders therefore, a specific outcome of this goal is to implement a Food Protection Task Force to help direct the work of the Manufactured Food Program. All of the goals listed above are incorporated into the overall intention of this project, which is to continue enhancing the Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards to ensure that the WDA/CHS Manufactured Food Program is sustainable in the future. The desired outcome of this would be to ensure that WDA/CHS is in full implementation and full conformance of each standard and continually improve the state’s Manufactured Food Program. Each of these goals plays a large part in ensuring that sustainability is reached.