# Continuation of the Cooperative Agreement between U.S. FDA and SCDHEC to advance conformance with Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards.

> **NIH FDA U18** · SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH · 2020 · $70,000

## Abstract

Getting awarded the Advancing Conformance with the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program
Standards (VNRFRPS) Cooperative Agreement will allow the South Carolina Department of Health and
Environmental Control (SCDHEC) to continue to:
1. Provide resources to program areas where the greatest impact on retail food safety is being made;
2. Continue to implement risk factor intervention strategies while looking for methods to reach wider
audience/application/use;
3. Identify program areas which are nearing conformance with a Standard, and make efforts to be ready
 for a validation audit;
4. Maintain the Standards that we have already met, and bring them back into conformance as FDA Food
 Code (Food Code) updates are made;
5. Continue to find new ways to improve program efficacy and best use of program resources; and
6. Establish and maintain good relationships with both consumers and industry personnel. This can be
 accomplished through uniform inspections with a “partnership” approach.
In July 2017, a full-time VNRFRPS coordinator was hired to manage the activities and responsibilities related
to the Retail Food Standards program. Since hiring the VNRFRPS coordinator, Standards’ criteria have been
held to the appropriate, stringent requirements of the Food Code and other guidance. A new VNRFRPS
coordinator was hired in December 2019, to continue the progress made by the previous coordinator who
resigned from the position in August 2019. The previous coordinator remains a member of the DHEC staff
which allows frequent communication between both employees to ensure a seamless transition for the Retail
Food Standards program.
Upon review of the SCDHEC Strategic Action plan, it can be seen that conformance percentages temporarily
declined for several of the retail standards in the August 31, 2017, VNRFRPS review. This was because
assessments performed prior to the hiring of a full-time coordinator were of lower quality than the assessments
we conduct today with a full-time coordinator. Self-assessments and reviews done by the VNRFRPS
coordinator will be more extensive, exhaustive, and critical than those conducted prior to July 2017, to ensure
accurate conformance reporting.
The VNRFRPS coordinator will continue to be responsible for satisfying all requirements of this Cooperative
Agreement, such as:
1. Completing the Mid-Year and Final Progress Reports in a timely fashion;
2. Updating status reports on the hiring and training of food program personnel;
3. Acquiring updated funding certifications and corresponding with SCDHEC Bureau of Finance in regard
 to VNRFRPS needs; and
4. Developing and maintaining a strategic plan that accurately reflects when specific objectives and tasks
 have been, or will be, completed and/or implemented and when new objectives and tasks are identified
 to advance conformance with the Retail Program Standards.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10148565
- **Project number:** 1U18FD007019-01
- **Recipient organization:** SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH
- **Principal Investigator:** Sandra Davis Craig
- **Activity code:** U18 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** FDA
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $70,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-07-01 → 2021-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10148565

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10148565, Continuation of the Cooperative Agreement between U.S. FDA and SCDHEC to advance conformance with Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards. (1U18FD007019-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10148565. Licensed CC0.

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