In April of 1998 the Food and Drug Administration at the Conference for Food Protection unveiled its proposed Recommended National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards. The purposes of these standards are to serve as a guide to regulatory retail food program managers in the design and management of a retail food program and to provide a means of recognition for those programs that meet these standards. The intent in the development of these standards is to establish a basic foundation in design and management of a retail food program.

Training courses in this catalog relating to retail food are in concert with the Recommended National Food Regulatory Program Standards.

There are nine recommended standards:

Standard #2--Trained Regulatory Staff applies to the essential elements of a training program for a regulatory staff. More specifically, at least 90% of the regulatory staff conducting inspections of retail establishments must satisfactorily complete a training curriculum that includes the following components:

In addition at least 90% of the regulatory staff must satisfactorily complete field training which includes:

Plus each employee must accumulate 20 contact hours of continuing education every two years.

FDA is seeking your input and comments on these recommended standards. In the meantime we are proceeding to provide training which follows Standard #2.

These efforts include:

For more information about these Standards access FDA's website at http://www.fda.gov/ora/ (then click on Federal State Relations, then click on State Training courses), or use a direct web site at http://www.fda.gov/ora/training /course_ora.html.