Project Summary/Abstract For Colorado’s Manufactured Foods Program Flexible Funding Model – Maintenance for State Manufactured Food Regulatory Programs It is the intent of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Division of Environmental Health and Sustainability (CDPHE-DEHS) to use this opportunity to manage and maintain conformance with the Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards by implementing the policies, procedures and protocols used by our Manufactured Foods Program staff when inspecting and regulating the manufactured foods industry in Colorado. Our goal is to ensure that staff working within the program is well trained, knowledgeable and will consistently and uniformly apply that knowledge to the situations encountered while inspecting and providing technical guidance, education and outreach to the regulated community. In 2015, the Manufactured Food Regulatory Program Standards (MFRPS) allowed the foundation to be created and CDPHE was able to develop its own Manufactured Foods regulatory inspection program. The requirement for states to be in full conformance with the MFRPS as a condition of continued FDA contractual work and the need to apply these same standards to the State program will require the dedication of significant resources that are not currently available to Colorado’s program. We are moving forward using the standards to strengthen and improve our program by methodically eliminating the gaps and building a sound sustainable programmatic foundation. Maintaining a solid program foundation will continue to help improve the program now and provide guidance for the future. The goal is to have the work conducted by Colorado’s program be recognized for its quality and consistency related to inspections, laboratory analytical findings, industry outreach and staff training. This will allow the agency to meet its goal of Safe Food provided to Colorado residents and guests as well as to ensure that manufactured food products that leave the state are safe. The agency is committed to help achieve FDA’s goal of an integrated food safety system and ensure that Colorado’s inspections, investigations, laboratory findings and program products are recognized as equivalent to the work product of other states or the FDA that are using the MFRPS as the basis for their programs.