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Purpose of Listing of State Standardized Officials

Under the authority of the Public Health Service Act as amended, the FDA has a responsibility to provide assistance to state and local retail food protection programs [42 USC 243]. The FDA provides assistance to federal agency retail food protection programs under authority of the Economy Act [31 USC 1535]. Assistance provided to state, local, and federal governmental bodies is also pursuant to FDA's authorities and responsibilities under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act [1 USC 301].

Historically, FDA has met this responsibility by offering a variety of training opportunities and technical assistance based on model codes addressing recommended sanitation and food safety criteria for retail food establishments. Providing model food codes and model code interpretations and opinions, is the mechanism through which FDA, as a lead federal food control agency, promotes uniform implementation of national food regulatory policy among federal, state, tribal, and local agencies that have primary responsibility for retail food safety oversight or regulation. To assure greater uniformity, FDA recommends that regulatory jurisdictions adopt the model Food Code as law or regulation.

The main goal of a national food safety program is the reduction and prevention of foodborne illness. To that end, FDA provides several pathways, one of which is the standardization of retail food inspection personnel. This process provides regulatory personnel the opportunity to subject their knowledge and skills related to the Code's provisions to a uniform system of measurement. The process and criteria for demonstrating proficiency in the required performance areas are described in the FDA Procedures for Standardization of Retail Food Inspection Officers.

The procedures are based on the FDA Food Code and are updated to reflect current Food Code provisions and to include a more refined focus on foodborne illness risk factors, food code interventions, and application of the principles of hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP).

It is critical that food safety personnel become standardized through this process to ensure that retail foods are safe, unadulterated, and honestly presented at retail throughout the United States. Standardization as a FDA-standardized Retail Food Safety inspection officer is issued to all candidates who successfully complete the standardization process. FDA is pleased to recognize, by listing according to FDA Branches, those persons who are recognized as standardized via this process.