STATES HELPING STATES

Program Overview

The Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) has entered into cooperative agreements with both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Under these cooperative agreements, AFDO will serve as the liaison, coordinator and facilitator between federal, state and local food protection programs to identify and leverage resources among participants. Goals include improving cooperation, expanding expertise and improving public safety.

These goals will be accomplished by increasing the overall level of skill and expertise of personnel working in state and local food safety programs and by developing a mechanism for states to identify and share expertise and resources. Objectives to accomplish the goals of “States Helping States” include:

• Implement training in knowledge and skill areas that state and local food safety regulatory staff need in order enhance public health protection
• Identify and compile information about state and local programs that have staff with expertise and skills in critical training areas
• Develop and apply criteria to assure that identified trainers have the knowledge and skills to qualify as subject area specialists.
• Develop and maintain a registry of subject area specialists.
• Develop and maintain a roster of food safety emergency response specialists
• Develop and implement strategies that will enable states with advanced knowledge and expertise in specific food safety concepts to provide training to states that identify needs in these areas