The five-year, $5m cooperative agreement for training will assist the FDA in meeting requirements of Section 209(a) of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and develop an integrated food safety system (IFSS).
NEHA will research training needs for IFSS food and feed inspectors and regulators, train instructors to meet FDA-identified competencies, oversee/audit course instructors, deliver IFSS food-related training courses, and develop courses based on feedback.
It will present a framework to enable state and local agencies to receive FDA-sanctioned courses under IFSS food programs, support efforts of FDA by maintaining training records for course participants and instructors, and issue course certificates to successful candidates.
“A safe and secure food supply is a profoundly local issue. This supply is safeguarded by local environmental health professionals, whose capacity will be further enhanced through training provided as an outcome of this investment,” said Dr David Dyjack, NEHA’s executive director and chief executive officer.
NEHA is a professional organization with 5,000 members in the public and private sectors as well as in universities and uniformed services.