and to identify unsafe food handling prac- tices. This system has significantly sped up the notification process and local health department response time. • Standard 7, Industry and Community Rela- tions: This standard highlighted the impor- tance of communication and outreach. Staff used this opportunity to strengthen relation- ships with industry partners and commu- nities by providing educational resources that support compliance and continuous improvement efforts. By emphasizing col- laboration and education, the program was able to build further trust and encourage proactive food safety practices. Perhaps the most significant success story to date, particularly in terms of edu- cation and outreach, was the 2024 launch of a media and advertising campaign to promote the KFSRS. The 2-month cam- paign, a grant-funded special project, was launched in Bowling Green, Kentucky, with three billboards strategically placed in high-traffic locations with the slogan: “Food make you queasy? Reporting it is easy.” (Photo 2). Additionally, steps were taken to improve our search engine optimization score for the KFSRS website, making it even more user-friendly. This project also included both a Google search engine optimization (SEO) that pushed the website to the top of every Google search and a social media advertising campaign with ads placed on Google, YouTube, and Facebook. The campaign proved hugely successful, with over 290,000 website impressions and 4,769 consumer clicks for our KFSRS land- ing page. The KDPH Food Safety Branch is especially grateful to FDA and NEHA part- ners for the special projects funding used to execute this initiative. With the restoration of special projects funding, the program hopes to repeat this campaign in other met- ropolitan areas of the state, with expanded KFSRS advertising on billboards, bus stop benches, and public transit vehicles. • Standard 8, Program Support and Resources: This standard required the team to take a broader look at program management and sustainability. Through strategic planning and resource evaluation, staff identified opportunities to improve efficiency and support long-term program success with the Retail Program Standards.
Photo 1. An all-staff photo from the 2024 Annual Food Safety Branch Meeting. Photo courtesy of the Kentucky Department of Public Health.
Photo 2: One of three strategically placed “Food make you queasy? Reporting it is easy.” billboards in Bowling Green promoting Kentucky’s Food Safety Reporting System. Photo courtesy of the Kentucky Department of Public Health.
needed to dedicate resources toward activities that directly supported conformance with Standards 1, 2, 5, 7, and 8. • Standard 1, Regulatory Foundation: This standard required staff to review KDPH’s statutory/regulatory authority and ensure that the framework adequately supported Kentucky’s retail food program. This pro- cess allowed staff to evaluate existing stat- utes and regulations and identify areas where updates or clarification could be needed for future adoptions of FDA Food Code editions. • Standard 2, Trained Regulatory Staff: This standard focused on ensuring that staff possess the knowledge and competencies needed to perform their duties consistently. RFFM funding supported multiple train- ing opportunities (Photo 1), continuing
education, and efforts to improve tracking and documentation. As a result, staff have gained greater confidence and consistency in applying regulatory requirements. • Standard 5, Foodborne Illness and Food Defense Preparedness: This standard encouraged staff to evaluate readiness to respond to foodborne illness complaints and to emergency foodborne illness out- breaks. Staff reviewed procedures, identi- fied areas for improvement, and strength- ened coordination with internal and external partners. These efforts improved the program’s preparedness and ability to respond effectively when needed through the Kentucky Food Safety Reporting Sys- tem (KFSRS), which is an enhanced online consumer reporting system used to report suspected foodborne illness outbreaks
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October 2026 • Journal of Environmental Health
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