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U.S. Food and Drug Administration
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  4. Inspections to Protect the Food Supply
  5. Interstate Travel Program
  1. Inspections to Protect the Food Supply

Interstate Travel Program

The Interstate Travel Program (ITP) at Food and Drug Administration (FDA)  is responsible for inspection of passenger-carrying conveyances during  their  construction and operation as well as the support facilities for those conveyances.  These conveyances include aircraft, charter coaches, railroad passenger cars, and vessels that operate in interstate traffic. Support facilities include caterers and commissaries (which supply food and beverages), watering points, and waste-handling facilities AKA servicing areas.

The authority for ITP arises from the U.S. Public Health Service (PHS) Act, which brought the Interstate Quarantine Regulations (IQRs) into existence. From the IQRs came 21 CFR 1240 Control of Communicable Diseases and 21 CFR 1250 Interstate Conveyance Sanitation.

21 CFR1240 Subpart E mandates that only potable water be placed onboard conveyances in interstate traffic by conveyance operators for drinking and culinary purposes and .that FDA approves the watering points and onboard treatment processes for delivery of that potable water. “Potable water” must also meet the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Primary Drinking Water Standards in 40 CFR 141.

21 CFR 1250 is subdivided into the following Subparts: (A) Definitions, (B) Food Service Sanitation on Land and Air Conveyances and vessels, (C) Equipment and Operation of Land and Air Conveyances, (D) Servicing Areas for Land and Air Conveyances, and (E) Sanitation Facilities and Conditions on Vessels.  The FDA also developed handbooks to provide greater detail about the requirements for construction and operation of all four conveyance types and their support facilities.

In addition to the aforementioned handbooks and regulations the FDA Food Code provides guidance for foodservice operations at caterers and commissaries and onboard conveyances.  21 CFR 117 (formerly 21 CFR 110) provides the regulatory background behind the food manufacturing aspects of operations at fixed facilities such as caterers and commissaries.

There are a number of existing links on fda.gov that are related to ITP operations and compliance activities.

Interstate Travel Program Resources

OHFI-East Division 1    
Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts , New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont

Chris Fields
631-787-3002 x 1014
christopher.fields@fda.hhs.gov

OHFI-East Division 2    
Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania

Austin Appler
410-779-5714
austin.appler@fda.hhs.gov

OHFI-East Division 3
Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina. Virginia, West Virginia

Robin Goins
336-333-5419 x 107
robin.goins@fda.hhs.gov

Juliana Falla
404-669-4564 x 4564
juliana.falla.fda.hhs.gov
 
OHFI-East Division 4
Florida, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands

Blaine Lewis
813-915-7990
melinda.lewis@fda.hhs.gov

OHFI-Central Division 1
Illinois, Indiana, Michigan

Matthew Buenconsejo
312-596-4266
matthew.buenconsejo@fda.hhs.gov

John Woodall
240-753-4500
john.woodall@fda.hhs.gov

Rasha Bamieh
313-393-8188
rasha.bamieh@fda.hhs.gov

Todd Dang
312-596-4258
todd.dang@fda.hhs.gov

OHFI-Central Division 2
Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee

Larry Estavan
504-846-6106
larry.estavan@fda.hhs.gov

Andrew Todd
502-425-1027
andrew.todd@fda.hhs.gov

OHFI-Central Division 3
Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin

Mada Tautges
612-758-7152
mada.tautges@fda.hhs.gov

OHFI-Central Division 4
Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma

Melva Palmer
913-495-5116
melva.palmer@fda.hhs.gov

Heath Cartwright
913-495-5149
heath.cartwright@fda.hhs.gov

Ryan Martin
913-495-5119
ryan.martin@fda.hhs.gov

OHFI-Central Division 5
Texas

Frans Mercado
713-293-1421
frans.mercado@fda.hhs.gov
 
OHFI-West Division 1
Southern California

Nianna Burns
562-256-9272
nianna.burns@fda.hhs.gov

OHFI-West Division 2
Central and Northern California

Dena Jacobs
Office: 916-930-3674 x 1121
dena.jacobs@fda.hhs.gov

Quynh Strandberg
Office: 510-337-6789
quynh.strandberg@fda.hhs.gov

OHFI-West Division 3
Alaska, American Samoa, Commonwealth of Mariana Islands (CNMI), Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington

Jeff Gerdes
425-302-0452
jeffrey.gerdes@fda.hhs.gov 

OHFI-West Division 4
Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming

Laura VanWagenen
303-236-3093
laura.vanwagenen@fda.hhs.gov

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