AFDO Resource Survey Topic of Magazine Podcast
The Association of Food and Drug Officials (AFDO) released its 2021 State Food Safety Resource Survey in mid-September. Food Safety Magazine is featuring an interview with AFDO Executive Director Steven Mandernach about the survey results. The survey looked at inspection work completed by state food safety regulatory programs charged with ensuring the safety of the food supply in the areas of manufactured food, retail food, milk, produce, meat/poultry and shellfish. The survey's complete results can be found here.
Posted 10/4/21
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AFDOSS Annual Conference Starts Today
The AFDOSS annual educational conference starts today at 1 p.m. EDT and continues tomorrow. The meeting is being held virtually, hosted by ConferenceDirect. There is a great lineup of presentations and speakers! You can view the agenda here.
In addition to the educational and informative presentations, the annual business meeting will be held, in which the AFDOSS newly-elected junior board member and the winner of the 2021 Mary Logan Scholarship will be announced.
AFDOSS is holding a raffle in place of the traditional auction to raise funds for the Mary Logan Scholarship fund. You are encouraged to visit the raffle page on the event website between October 4 and November 4 to see the available items for bidding and to purchase raffle tickets!
Not currently a member of AFDOSS? You are invited to join a family of food, drug and consumer product safety professionals. You can join while also registering for the conference.
Posted 9/27/21
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Next Week
Join the WAFDO Virtual Educational Conference
Registration is open for the WAFDO Virtual Conference scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, October 12-13. This year’s conference reflects the ever-evolving food and medical device industries with topics that include:
- Guam’s initiative to educate youth through a food safety storybook
- Seal Oil Case Study -- examining use and regulation of this indigenous food of Alaska
- Belizean Artisanal Fisheries: international relations, food import considerations, and legislation abroad with local case study
- Overview of seafood safety supply chain and the FDA’s pre-arrival clearance process
- Food safety considerations pertaining to ethnic and novel foods in your community
- California case study on micro-enterprise home kitchens
- Efficacy of virtual inspections for retail food inspections
- Implementation of the Incident Command System in Environmental Health
- Cannabis industry update
- Clinical trial delays and the impact it has on marketing new pharmaceutical products
- Drug claims in personal care products
- How not to annoy reviewers during your FDA Drug Approval Process
Dates: Tuesday and Wednesday, October 12-13, 2021
Time: 10:00 A.M. to 3:30 P.M. PDT
Posted 8/30/21
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Save the Date: NEHA-FDA RFFM
Grant Program Webinar October 13
With roughly one month left for the 2022 Calendar Year application period, NEHA will host an informative webinar on the NEHA-FDA Retail Flexible Funding Model Grant Program, which will award funding to SLTT retail regulatory food jurisdictions to enhance conformance with the Retail Program Standards. The webinar will be held Wednesday, October 13, from 2-3:30 p.m. EDT.
Featuring a live website demo, a Program Portal walk-through, and two interactive Q&A opportunities, this comprehensive, 90-minute presentation will highlight all grant resources available while providing essential guidance for navigating various aspects of the application process. It will also be an opportunity to address any remaining questions before this year’s application period ends.
When registering, attendees are encouraged to submit any questions to be covered during the webinar in the “Questions & Comments” Zoom registration field.
Applications for Calendar Year 2022 of the NEHA-FDA Retail Flexible Funding Model Grant Program will be accepted through Monday, November 15, at 7:59 p.m. EST. Visit: https://www.neha.org/retailgrants and then click on the "Access the Grant Program Portal" button to register or begin completing one or more applications.
For general questions and technical support related to the grant application process, please contact our NEHA-FDA RFFM Grant Program Support Team via email at retailgrants@neha.org or toll-free at 1-833-575-2404.
Posted 10/4/21
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FDA Issues Delta-8 Information for Consumers
The FDA has issued a consumer update titled, "5 Things to Know about Delta-8 Tetrahydrocannabinol – Delta-8 THC."
Delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as delta-8 THC, is a psychoactive substance found in the Cannabis sativa plant, of which marijuana and hemp are two varieties. Delta-8 THC is one of over 100 cannabinoids produced naturally by the cannabis plant but is not found in significant amounts in the cannabis plant. As a result, concentrated amounts of delta-8 THC are typically manufactured from hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD).
It is important for consumers to be aware that delta-8 THC products have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA for safe use in any context. They may be marketed in ways that put the public health at risk and should especially be kept out of reach of children and pets.
A combination of factors has led the FDA to provide consumers with this information. These factors include:
- An uptick in adverse event reports to the FDA and the nation’s poison control centers.
- Marketing, including online marketing of products, that is appealing to children.
- Concerns regarding contamination due to methods of manufacturing that may in some cases be used to produce marketed delta-8 THC products.
The FDA is actively working with federal and state partners to further address the concerns related to these products and monitoring the market for product complaints, adverse events, and other emerging cannabis-derived products of potential concern.
Read the fact sheet here.
Posted 9/27/21
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AFDO Food Defect Resources Now Available
The Food Recovery Committee of the Association of Food & Drug Officials (AFDO) has released the Packaged and Canned Food Defects Guidelines and a companion adaptable pictorial guide to assist individuals in evaluating defects that may exist in food packages and containers.
Damaged or defective packaged or canned food products are a potential public health issue. The packages or cans could leak and allow microorganisms to enter which may cause food poisoning or other significant health problems. It is imperative that packaged and canned food products with visual and/or external defects be identified and properly assessed. Often these damaged foods find their way to food banks and pantries. These guides will help those who assess donations to these food outlets before suspect goods are released to the public.
This visual guide and poster are available for download at www.afdo.org/publications.
Development of this guidance document was a collaborative effort of:
- Association of Food & Drug Officials (AFDO)
- Feeding America
- Food Bank of the Rockies
- The National Restaurant Association
- Central Texas Food Bank
Posted 9/27/21
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Recall Audit Check FDA Form 3177 Training Offered
AFDO is pleased to share the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), Division of Food Safety just-in-time training Recall Audit Check FDA 3177. Summer Williams, FDACS RRT Coordinator, led the collaborative effort with the Florida Integrated Rapid Response Team, including FDA, to develop this training.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services conducts recall audit checks in collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ensure that food and product recalls have been appropriately carried out. The results of these checks are reported on FDA Form 3177. Because inspectors are seldom required to conduct recall audit checks or use this form, up-front training related to this task is not reinforced by experience and thus may not be retained by the inspectors. The scenario-based training uses an approach that helps learners grasp concepts quickly and effectively. Simulated recall effectiveness checks are available to help assess their learning.
The objectives for this training include:
- Define product recalls
- Explain classes of recalls
- Explain depth of recalls
- Define a recall audit check
- Prepare for a recall audit check
- Conduct a recall audit check
- Fill out FDA Form 3177
The link for this FDACS training module can be found at AFDO.org under the Resources tab in the Recall topic section or by click below.
Posted 9/27/21
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AFDO Wants to Hear From You! Call for Topics: 2022 AFDO Conference
Is there a topic that you've always wanted to hear at the AFDO conference or do you think you have a great idea for a session? We want to hear it! Please fill out the survey below with your ideas for topics for the next AFDO Annual Educational Conference.
Are you interested in being a part of the AFDO Conference planning process? Now is your chance! Please sign up in the survey to participate in the planning process for the AFDO Conference.
Posted 9/20/21
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Root Cause Analysis for Retail Food Safety Session Offered in December and January
AFDO invites you to participate in the new virtual course, Performing Root Cause Analysis during Food Safety Risk Assessment. The course was developed in collaboration with ASQ, a globally-recognized provider of several certification programs, and retail food safety regulatory professionals. This course incorporates the concepts of root cause analysis for use in reducing the occurrence of risk factor violations and in the investigation of foodborne illness outbreaks. It is designed for the advanced food safety professional and will greatly enhance the skills needed to define the problem, collect data, determine the “why” and develop solutions.
Identifying the root cause (why) of risk factor violations and foodborne illness outbreaks utilizes contributing factors (what/how) and environmental antecedents providing the “why” of the violation or outbreak. This course will help develop a methodical approach to:
- Determine the underlying reasons for how and why an outbreak/violation(s) occurred
- Provide tools for more effective problem solving
- Data collection tools and analyzation
- Interventions or corrective actions to prevent recurrence
Sessions will be offered the weeks of December 13 and January 24
Cost is $500 per person. AFDO is subsidizing approximately 40% of the registration costs per participant.
Continuing Education Units (CEU's) through NEHA will now be offered. Certificate of Attendance and the CEU form will be sent at the conclusion of the course.
Updated 9/27/21
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2021 FSPCA Annual Conference
FSPCA invites the food safety community and other stakeholders to attend the 2021 FSPCA Virtual Annual Conference Wednesday and Thursday, October 20-21, 2021.
The FSPCA Annual Conference highlights the food industry’s leading experts, allowing for discussion of current industry topics. After more than a year of interim inspection procedures and debilitating public health challenges, companies are making progress toward a more predictable operating environment, but we aren’t there yet. So what does food safety compliance look like in this “in-between” stage? Join the FSPCA and your colleagues as the food industry continues to grow through events such as this conference.
The Conference will include morning and afternoon sessions as well as the opportunity to join multiple virtual breakout sessions during the mid-day breaks.
Check the FSPCA website for full agenda and additional information.
Posted 9/7/21
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OTED Offers Free Virtual Retail Food Training
FDA's Office of Training, Education, and Development (OTED) is accepting applications to attend retail food program training. These courses are co-delivered by FDA and AFDO at no charge to the regulatory community
Register ASAP! Limited spaces available for October. There is no registration fee to attend.
- FD215: Managing Retail Food Safety (1.70 CEUs)
- FD218: Risk-Based Inspection Methods in Retail (1.90 CEUs)
Learn more at https://www.afdo.org/training/retail-training/
If you have questions about this process, please email AFDO team members Randy Young or Daphne Koufomihalis.
Updated 9/27/21
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Public Health Sanitarian - Training Lead Montana
The Department of Public Health and Human Services is the largest executive branch department in Montana State Government with over 3,200 employees. We maximize individual and organizational potential by supporting the agency’s most valuable resource – OUR PEOPLE.
This position is responsible for developing and administering the food and consumer safety program services to reduce the incidence of diseases and occurrences of unhealthful conditions. Responsibilities include: 1) Investigating consumer complaints and illness outbreaks to identify and eliminate threats to the public; 2) Conducting public health inspections of food facilities and equipment to ensure compliance with state and federal laws; and 3) Providing training related to food and safety programs.
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Other Training Opportunities
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Paster Training, Inc.
Paster Training, Inc – Food and Alcohol training and consulting for Retailers and Manufacturers.
The education you need by experienced trainers and consultants.
FSMA Training - VIRTUAL and CLASSROOM AVAILABLE! Dates and Times available on our website.
- Preventive Controls for Human Food (PCHF), Full and Part 2
- Intentional Adulteration Vulnerability Assessment (IAVA)
- Foreign Supplier Verification Program (FSVP), Full and Part 2
- Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs)
Retail Training – VIRTUAL and CLASSROOM AVAILABLE! Dates and Times available on our website.
- Certified Protection Food Manager (CPFM)
- Food Handler/Food Employee
- HACCP Manager
- HACCP Employee
- Food Defense
- SPANISH TRAINING AVAILABLE!!!!!
Not seeing what you need, visit www.pastertraining.com or call us at 610.970.1776 to inquire about both public or private classes or consulting services.
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EAS Consulting Group Training
Dietary Supplement GMP Compliance Regulations
October 5 & 7, 2021
CBD and Hemp Manufacturing and Safety A Three-Part Webinar Series
October 20, 27 & November 4, 2021, each at 1pm ET
Acidified Foods & Low-Acid Canned Foods (LACF)
Acidified Foods: Nov 1, 3, 8 & 10, 2021
LACF: November 15, 17 & 19, 2021
12pm - 4pm ET
Preventive Controls for Human Foods Seminar (PHCF) with Preventive Controls for Qualified Individuals (PCQI) Certification
December 2,7, 9, 14, 16, 2021 at 11am - 3pm ET
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The Food Safety Doctor LLC
Promoting Public Health and Food Safety through Training and FSMA Awareness
While sheltering in place, The Food Safety Doctor LLC is offering
FSMA Compliance Courses - Virtual Instructor Led Training (vILT)
Information Page
Click here to access the schedule of PCQI courses
Click here to access the schedule of FSVP-QI courses
Intentional Adulteration Vulnerability Qualified Individuals (IAVA-QI) Courses
- Online: November 9, 2021 (Evening Session)
Click here to access the schedule of IAVA-QI courses
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Laws and Regulations Committee Update
A collection of current food, drug, device, and consumer product regulatory issues and news
September 22 - 23, 2021
September 24 - 28, 2021
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Laws and Regulations Committee Updates
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