BATTLE CREEK, Mich.—The International Food Protection Training Institute (IFPTI) received a 5-year $6.5 million grant from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to implement the national food-training infrastructure mandated by the Food Safety Modernization Act.
IFPTI, FDA’s lead training partner in building the integrated food safety system, has trained more than 1,800 food safety inspectors from 49 states at its training facilities at Western Michigan University’s Kendall Center. IFPTI and FDA are committed to bringing high-quality training to food protection professionals to ensure a competent work force at all levels of government.
“We look forward to continuing our collaboration with FDA. In this era of thrifty budget management, investing the country’s limited tax dollars in building the training infrastructure for the integrated food safety system is the most cost-effective way to ensure the nation’s food supply is safe," said IFPTI Executive Director Gerald Wojtala.
Commenting on the grant, Dr. Julia Bradsher, President and CEO of the Global Food Protection Institute, said, “Building an integrated system between federal, state and local agencies responsible for the safety of the nation’s food supply relies heavily on training, and the International Food Protection Training Institute is meeting that need."
