Congress Passes Legislation To Fund Food Safety Training
October 15, 2009 Congress passed legislation that includes $1 million for The International Food Protection Training Institute (IFPTI) to train state and local food safety inspectors. The Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations bill provides funding for USDA, FDA, rural development programs, and related agencies. The bill will be sent to President Obama.
“The global interdependence of the food supply gives rise to unprecedented challenges for food protection professionals,” said Stephen Benoit, president and COO of the National Center for Food Protection and founding member of the board of directors of the IFPTI at a press conference Monday held by Congressman Mark Schauer of Michigan.
According to a press release from IFPTI, state employees perform more than half of all FDA inspections at domestic food processing plants, and there are no mandatory federal training requirements for these food protection professionals. In addition, training is said to vary widely by state.
Source: IFPTI press release
