International Food Protection Training Institute to Deliver Inaugural Training Course...

International Food Protection Training Institute to Deliver Inaugural Training
Course to Food Safety Regulators

'Managing Retail Food Safety,' SET FOR July 14-16

BATTLE CREEK, Mich., May 21 /PRNewswire/ -- The International Food Protection
Training Institute (IFPTI) announced today that it will deliver its inaugural
training course -- the FDA's "Managing Retail Food Safety" -- on July 14-16,
2009 at the McCamly Plaza Hotel in Battle Creek, Michigan.

The IFPTI is a non-profit organization established to deliver career-spanning
certified food protection training to all State, local, tribal and territorial
food protection professionals to assure competency and equivalency in meeting
established U.S. federal food safety standards.

"We are excited to be launching this initiative," said Gerald Wojtala,
President of the Association of Food and Drug Officials and a founding member
of the Board of Directors of the IFPTI.

"The Institute's vision of an integrated national food protection system that
ensures the safety of the U.S. food supply is dependent upon building capacity
within and strengthening the role of state and local food protection
agencies," added Wojtala.

"Managing Retail Food Safety" is being offered in conjunction with the
Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO), the Michigan Department of
Agriculture, and the North Central Association of Food and Drug Officials. The
course is part of the FDA's curriculum of regulator courses and is open to
food safety regulators from all 50 states, as well as from local and tribal
communities and territories. There is no registration fee to attend this
course and course materials, most meals and an evening reception on July 15th
will be provided for all attendees. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation is funding
the start-up activities of the Institute.

Established in March 2009, the Institute will be offering additional courses
in September - December, 2009. Courses include "Applications of Basics of
Inspection and Investigation" and "Seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical
Control Points (HACCP)" in both "trainee" and "train-the-trainer" formats.
Most costs associated with course registration, materials, meals, and travel
are expected to be covered by the Institute in order to provide much-needed
assistance to State and local regulatory agencies. Registration information
can be found at: www.ifpti.org or www.afdo.org.

About IFPTI
The International Food Protection Institute (IFPTI) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization established to deliver career-spanning certified food protection
training for State and local food protection professionals to assure
competency and equivalency in meeting established U.S. federal food safety
standards. Through a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and working in
partnership with the Association of Food and Drug Officials, the Institute
seeks to protect the public's health by working with Federal, State, local,
tribal, and territorial food protection officials in the creation of an
integrated national food protection system that ensures the safety of the U.S.
food supply.

About W.K. Kellogg Foundation
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation was established in 1930. The organization supports
children, families and communities as they strengthen and create conditions
that propel vulnerable children to achieve success as individuals and as
contributors to the larger community and society. Grants are concentrated in
the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the southern African
countries of Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland
and Zimbabwe.

For further information on the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, please visit the
Foundation's website at www.wkkfh.org. Inquiries about the Foundation can be
directed to Rick Foster, Vice President for Programs.

About AFDO
The Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO), established in 1896,
successfully fosters uniformity in the adoption and enforcement of
science-based food, drug, medical devices, cosmetics and product safety laws,
rules and regulations by either drafting regulatory rules or by commenting on
government proposals. By developing a broad base of support for new
approaches, AFDO has become a recognized voice in determining the rules and
shape of the regulatory playing field of the future. The consensus that AFDO
develops is key to advancing uniform laws, regulations, and guidelines that
result in more efficient regulation and less confusion among industry in the
marketplace. AFDO develops support for its positions by interfacing with
high-level regulatory officials, industry representatives, trade associations,
and consumer organizations. This continues to have a significant impact on
regulations at the federal, state and local level.

More information about AFDO can be found on its website at www.afdo.org.
Inquiries about AFDO can be directed to AFDO's Executive Director Joseph
Corby.

SOURCE International Food Protection Training Institute

Gerald Wojtala, President, AFDO, Board of Directors, IFPTI, +1-517-373-9725