International Food Protection Training Institute

The International Food Protection Training Institute is an initiative of the Global Food Protection Institute, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization driving the adoption of food-protection policies and practices for a safer global food supply. Its mission is to improve public health and reduce mortality, morbidity, and economic costs associated with foodborne illnesses.

In collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. federal regulatory and public health officials, and academic institutions, The Training Institute delivers food protection courses to federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial food protection professionals. This training meets established U.S. federal food safety standards and all costs associated with the training are reimbursed.

State and local agencies carry out more than 90 percent of food safety inspections in U.S. food manufacturing and distribution establishments, yet less than $1 million was spent on training in 2009, which is inadequate to facilitate any significant increase in capacity or equivalency at the state and local levels. Many state and local offices no longer fund travel for training their food safety inspectors due to budgetary constraints. The Training Institute makes its programs free for U.S. regulatory officials, reimbursing training and travel costs. The food training organization provides a blueprint for career-spanning, standards-based training curriculum that could raise the standard of food training nationwide. In 2009, The Training Institute was established after government, academic, industry, and national food safety groups collaborated, prompted by the melamine incident in 2007. Most face-to-face training programs are delivered at the Kendall Center on the campus of Western Michigan University, in Battle Creek, Michigan. Additional courses and webinars are offered on-line.

The Training Institute received the 2011 NSF International Food Safety Leadership Trendsetter Award that recognized The Training Institute as a first-year program leading the charge in food safety leadership, initiative, and accomplishments.

The Training Institute was endorsed by the FDA’s Partnership for Food Protection Training Workgroup and started work on its goals, including identifying and cataloging nearly 900 existing food safety courses in the U.S.

In June 2010, The Training Institute coordinated emergency training for states in response to the BP Oil Spill. Nearly 60 officials were funded by The Training Institute to attend seafood sensory training given by expert responders in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This training allowed state officials to make decisions about closing fishing areas as well as evaluate the safety of seafood harvested in the Gulf.

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