The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued the 2024 edition of the Voluntary National Retail Food Regulatory Program Standards, which defines the key elements of an effective retail food regulatory program for state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) food regulatory agencies.

The Retail Program Standards include recommendations for designing and managing retail initiatives, as well as recognizing programs that effectively implement the standards, providing a foundation upon which all regulatory programs can build through a continuous improvement process.

The 2024 edition incorporates changes recommended from the 2023 Conference for Food Protection Biennial Meeting. These changes include:

• Re-standardization frequency updates
• Newly added courses
• Audit procedures updates
• New terminology.

FDA Retail Food Specialists are available to answer questions about the Retail Program Standards.

FDA's Retail Program Standards provide a framework to enhance food safety in SLTT jurisdictions, whether they are enrolled or not. However, voluntary enrollment offers an opportunity to apply for related federal funding to advance adoption of these standards. The procedure for enrolling is available here.

A complete list of jurisdictions enrolled can be found here.