Postcard Showcasing Benefits of Food Code Adoption Sent to Legislators

A postcard showing the adoption status of the FDA Food Code has been sent to 1,741 state-level legislators on behalf of the Retail Food Safety Regulatory Association Collaborative (Collaborative). The National Environmental Health Association partnered with the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) to create the postcard, sent in early January, to align with the beginning of the 2022 legislative sessions. The postcard provided a simplified map of Food Code adoption at the state level, information on the impact of foodborne illness on the economy, and highlights key issues related to foodborne illness as a top public health concern for legislators.

Supporting the adoption of the Food Code is one of the Collaborative’s top objectives. A detailed map of Food Code adoption by state including information on agencies with regulatory responsibility and legislative citations and authority is available as part of the Collaborative’s Food Code Adoption Toolkit. Additionally, the talking points from the postcard have been added as an easily accessible one page handout to facilitate conversations with legislators on the economic impacts of Food Code adoption. The toolkit also provides tools and resources designed to inform decision-makers including legislators of the benefits of adopting the most recent editions of the Food Code.

Along with the postcard, NCSL has created a webpage for legislators looking for more information on the Food Code, current and emerging legislative issues related to food safety, and research on the economic impacts of foodborne illness.