Strengthening Local Retail Food Safety with Collaboration
Official title: Strengthening Retail Food Safety Systems Through Collaboration
Funded at Association of Food and Drug Officials · NIH-11594381 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A national effort to help state and local food regulators work better together to prevent foodborne illness by sharing tools, best practices, and technical help.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Association of Food and Drug Officials NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (York, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $750,000 |
| NIH project number | 1UF4FD008994-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11594381 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to patients; this study targets regulatory agencies and the retail food system.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals shopping or working in retail food settings may indirectly benefit from safer environments, but there is no direct patient enrollment.
What this research studies
This grant brings together AFDO with FDA, CDC, and partner groups to identify what helps or hinders retail food safety programs. Researchers will use surveys, group discussions, and resource development to spread proven practices and strengthen regulatory performance. The project aims to improve risk-based inspections, voluntary standards participation, outbreak preparedness, and adoption of food safety management systems across SLTT agencies and industry partners. The work ultimately seeks to boost communication and collaboration to make retail food safety more effective nationwide.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could lead to safer grocery stores and markets through stronger, more consistent food safety practices and faster outbreak response.
How similar studies have gone: Prior collaborations between federal agencies and industry partners have shown improved adoption of risk-based inspection and food safety practices in some regions.
Where this research is happening
-
Association of Food and Drug Officials
York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Copeland, Deanna Elizabeth — Association of Food and Drug Officials
- Study coordinator: Copeland, Deanna Elizabeth
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.